All My Stars Aligned
by Yahboobeh
Summary: "So," she began, "Is it true? "Is what true?" "Does Neji Hyūga fall in love so easily?" How one training session changed their lives. [NejiTen]
1. Chapter 1

_I sleep on my back 'cause it's good for the spine,  
><em>_And coffin rehearsal.  
><em>_I know a psychic who reads her own palm,  
><em>_And her findings are personal.  
><em>_She keeps her fists shut tight and she sleeps on her side,_

_Well maybe she knows something I don't know._

_- Why?  
><em>_ Fatalist Palmistry_

* * *

><p>Neji furrowed his brows as a wave of mild irritation slid across his face. "What are you doing?" His tone was stern, but it still elicited a giggle from Tenten. One eye popped open and Neji found his teammate sitting on the grass across from him. The smile on her face seemed innocent enough, but Neji knew better.<p>

She had interrupted his meditation session, again. He knew she was bored, and that trying to wait him out was better than more training with Lee and Guy, but her she got bored easily. She would try to find something to distract her, but it almost always ended in her trying to relieve her boredom by interrupting Neji. Today he had caught her trying to steal glances at his hand. It had seemed innocent enough, but he knew exactly what she was up to. Neji turned his hands over so that his palms lay against his knees. "You're no fun," she teased.

Neji ignored her comment and closed his eye again, hoping to slip back into his practice. As he began to empty his mind again a heavy sigh pulled him back to reality.

Neji knew she never intended to interrupt his sessions so much. He knew this because he usually found himself across from a guilty looking Tenten.

He opened his eyes now to that all familiar sight. She sat cross legged in front of him, her shoulders were hunched forward. She rested her chin in her hand, elbow pressing into her knee. She appeared to be gazing at the grass, but Neji could see that her focus was elsewhere. He suspected his practice wouldn't be going much further today.

"What?"

Tenten dropped her hand from her chin and looked up at Neji, eyes widening a little as her lower lip slid out in a gentle pout.

_Fuck._

It was cute. Unavoidably cute. And manipulative. Neji hated it when she pouted. Partially because Tenten was strong and independent. She was one of the toughest and most mature of the kunoichi in the Konoha 11, yet she still felt the need to fall into girlish stereotypes from time to time to get what she wanted. But Neji mostly hated it, because it worked on him and he didn't know why.

He had expected it to work on Guy or Lee, they were easy targets, but Neji prided himself on not letting his emotions control his decisions. He hated to admit that he could give into her pout just as easily as the two of them. Instead, he would try and string out his inevitable defeat by toying with Tenten and trying to annoy her instead.

And at this moment her soft, pink lip was issuing a challenge.

"Just let me see your hand for a second." There was a hint of a whine in her voice, but her body language betrayed her as she sat up eagerly.

"Why?" Neji knew why though. Tenten loved fortune telling. Many training sessions had ended with her and Lee sitting across from each other with either a deck of cards between them or his outstretched hand in hers. Lee loved it when she would pull out a deck of tarot cards and always wanted her to give him a reading. Tenten was good at it too. Neji would eavesdrop on their sessions, faking his meditative state. Neji was impressed by her detail and accuracy. She never claimed to know the future, nor would she make childish, stereotypical predictions about life, love or death.

Neji had never let her read his fortune, but it had never stopped her from trying. And right now she was trying.

"I just want to see…" she trailed off, trying to sound innocent.

Neji sighed. "There's nothing to see in my hand, Tenten." He always had tried to make her think that he didn't believe in fortunetelling, but the truth was that as a man who had spent most of his life believing that fate was inevitable, he did believe.

His apprehension laid in the simple fact that Neji didn't want to know what kind of information she could pull form the lines in his hand, and if he didn't want to know, he certainly didn't want her to know.

"Please, Neji?" Her pout grew ever so slightly.

"Do you really think that you can pout your way into a yes?"

Tenten's lip pulled back and a smile spread across her lips. "Yes."

_Damnit. _

Neji kept his act up and smirked. "Not today." If he could just hold off a little longer, he might have a chance of winning.

Tenten huffed in frustration. She let her chin fall into her hand again and let her focus drift.

"Fine." She sounded irritated. He might have actually won. He smiled inwardly and closed his eyes, hoping that he might be able to squeeze in another few minutes of meditation before she tried to get his attention again.

He was wrong.

As soon as his eyes closed he felt her hand on his. His breath hitched as he felt her swiftly and gently pull his hand into her lap and twist his wrist so that his palm faced her. His eyes flew open.

Neji clenched his fist and pulled back, half heartedly. "Tenten."

"Please, Neji? Just this once?" She looked up at him again, with that wicked pout. Another wave of irritation passed across Neji's face and they both knew that she had won.

"Fine." He admitted defeat with an irritated sigh and a smile lit across Tenten's face. He relaxed his fist as she pulled his hand back into her lap. Tenten uncoiled his fingers as she hunched over to study his hand.

"Your hand is cold, but I'm not surprised." She smiled.

"We're outside," Neji stated bluntly. "It's early fall and breezy."

"I bet they're always a bit cold," she stated, "It means that you are generous but reserved."

"I don't see how the temperature of my hands can tell you that."

"You're also very smart, but you worry too much." Neji raised an eyebrow. "I can tell that by the length of your hands," she added.

"I don't worry too-"

"Then why won't you ever let me see your hand? Afraid I might learn something you don't want me to know?" Tenten teased him, but she was right. Neji tried to brush it off.

"Whatever."

"Next, the lines." Neji frowned. "I'll start with the fate line." She traced the line up his palm with her nail. Neji tried not to react to the tickling sensation but she giggled when she felt his muscles twitch. "The line isn't too deep, so you're life is not controlled by fate nearly as much as you seem to think. But the line is broken up a bit, meaning that you're life is influenced by outside forces."

"Seems vague," Neji lied. In truth his mind had already wandered back to the Chunin exams where Naruto had done just that. His battle with Naurto had changed the course of his life and he did not experience the same anger and resentment as he once had. He no longer believed that fate controlled his life, but still accepted that there were outside forces he couldn't control. It was a balance.

"Next," she continued, "the life line… You have two!" She smiled.

"Two?"

"Yeah! It can mean a few things," she explained, "sometimes twins have two life lines, it could mean you're living a double life," she gave him a suspicious look, teasing him. "But, more likely, it means that you have someone watching over you, or you've found your soul mate." She looked up at him.

"Lee has two life lines, I'm pretty sure that the second one represents Guy-sensei."

"Huh."

"So, he can't be your soul mate," she teased.

Neji shot her a dirty look and Tenten laughed.

She looked back down at his hand, her expression returning serious again.

"But, there's also some circles in here, meaning that you may have had or will have some injuries, a couple bad ones." She looked up at him again, frowning a bit, "Like when you guys wen't after Sauske." He knew she still worried about that sometimes. Both himself and Lee had suffered some pretty serious injuries during the exams. Lee had taken a life risking surgery and Neji had nearly died trying to help bring Sauske back to the village.

Tenten had worried sick about her teammates, staying with them both as much as she could while they were in the hospital. He suspected she still hadn't quite recovered, even so many years later. She took extra care with them during missions, and even though she hadn't been able to control her chakra well enough to learn medical ninjutsu, she had learned a plethora of other first aid skills so that if something did happen, it was very likely she could keep them alive and stable until they found a medic. Luckily, for all of team Guy, aside from cleaning up some scrapes, her skills had gone mostly unused.

Neji was overthinking and missing pieces of her reading. When she wrapped up with the life line, he brought back his focus and decided to feign ignorance.

"So the life line won't tell me when I'm going to die?" Neji teased her. Tenten's brows furrowed.

"You know that I can't do that. No one can read death in their palm. Even if you could, I wouldn't want to anyway." She traced the middle line across his palm. "This is your head line. It's deep and straight, it means that you like structure and are a focused thinker." Tenten moved up to the next line. "And your heart line, this one is about lov-" Neji pulled his hand away. He didn't want to talk about love with her.

"Tenten, you haven't told me anything you didn't already know about me."

"Even so, it's all been accurate," Tenten argued. "Quit complaining, I'm almost done." She pulled his hand back and looked again at his heart line. Tenten giggled and Neji felt his face warm. He didn't know what she could possibly conclude about his love life through a line on his hand, but she seemed amused.

"What?" She looked him in the eyes, her features grinning with the opportunity to tease him. Neji felt anxiety swell in his chest.

"You fall in love easily," she teased. He looked away from her and pulled his hand from hers.

"It's just wrinkles, Tenten, you can't know that to be true."

"I'm not done!" She pulled his hand back. "And your heart line is straighter, meaning you're very practical in love, not that that's a surprise." He looked back and glared at her. She laughed. "So," she began, "Is it true?

"Is what true?"

"Does Neji Hyūga fall in love so easily?" Neji felt his stomach flutter. He instinctively folded his knees up to his chest to put some space between them, in what was quickly becoming a very intimate moment.

She let go of his hand and leaned against his knees, folding her arms over them. Neji could feel her heart flutter against his leg beneath her breast.

He was sure his heart would leap out of his chest. And he found it hard to focus on anything outside of the warmth of her breasts against his legs. They moved with her breath, the changing pressure making it hard for him to concentrate.

How had a normal training session with his teammate turn into this?

His hands clutched the grass, trying to ground himself. The bark of the tree was rough on his back, through his shirt and her breasts continued to radiate gentle warmth.

He felt himself being drawn to her, and her to him. Their faces inched closer, nervously, cautiously as the distance between them began to awkwardly disappear.

He closed his eyes and their lips met tenderly. It was soft, warm and innocent. It barely lasted a second before they parted, both breathing nervously. They kept their hands to themselves as they fell into another soft kiss.

This one was longer and deeper but not by much. When they parted again, Tenten spoke first. Her voice hitched and quivered as she asked him again, "Well, do you?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** First thing I've written in a few years. Not sure if its any good or not. Hope you guys like it. Generic "I don't own the characters, yada yada yada." :)


	2. Chapter 2

_I am with you, now I've got to explain_  
><em>Things, they have changed in such a permanent way<em>  
><em>Life seems unreal, can we go back to your place?<em>

_- The Strokes  
>Alone, Together<em>

* * *

><p>Tenten panted. She gripped a kunai tightly and pressed her back into the tree she was hiding behind.<p>

If you could call it hiding, seeing as Neji knew exactly where she was.

She had exhausted most of her weapons in their current training session and was focused on keeping her distance so that she wouldn't fall within range of his Gentle Fist.

She almost never won their spars, but that didn't matter to her, the fact that she could hold her own against him for so long made her proud. Years of training with Neji had taught her a lot about the Byakugan and she knew his strengths and weaknesses well.

But now she was out of ideas and she was getting bored with hiding, with training.

She was looking forward to when their spar would finally end. They would sit down together, eat lunch, and - Tenten's stomach fluttered - kiss.

She thought back to there first kiss. She still wasn't sure how long he'd had feelings for her. Had he fallen for her that easily, as she'd predicted, or had he been good at hiding it?

She didn't let the details worry her too much, though. He had made a place in her heart for a few years. Every now and then he would cause small palpitations to flutter through her. They seemed to happen more often now. She had always been able to hide it before, but now it was harder.

Her heart fluttered again and she was pulled from her thoughts when she heard him approach. She pushed herself away from the tree and tightened her grip on her kunai.

But she'd let herself get distracted, and as soon as she made to move she felt his fingers push into her legs, rapidly. And then all of the tenketsu points in her legs were closed.

She wobbled. Neji caught her before she fell, his arms wrapped tight around her waist. Her hands remained fisted against his chest, still holding the kunai.

She panted again, this time from excitement.

Their eyes met and he smiled at her. "I win."

"No!" She knew he did win, but wasn't ready to admit defeat so easily.

"You can't stand up!"

She responded by holding her kunai to his throat, giving just enough pressure to remind him that she could still win in her state.

Neji leaned in and kissed her. Tenten gasped. This wasn't part of their schedule. It was too early for kisses. Once the surprise had faded, she kissed him back. His tongue slid into her mouth and a small moan squeaked out of her throat. She felt her hand become lighter, as he plucked the kunai from her fingers. She wrapped her now free arms around his neck and they kissed for another minute before breaking. Neji pressed kisses up her jaw, making Tenten dizzy with excitement, when he reached her ear he paused. Instead of another sweet kiss he whispered to her instead. "Now I win."

The intimacy ended and she was back in the forrest, her legs weak beneath her. And it dawned on her that the kunai was gone. She remembered him taking it, but she hadn't really thought about it. She furrowed her brow as he pulled back to meet her gaze, a teasing smile on his lips.

"You cheated," she complained.

His smile left. "That's not possible, Tenten, there's no cheating in a battle."

"You can't just kiss your opponent into defeat!"

"I just did." He'd got her there. Tenten just pouted and looked down, her arms still around his neck. She played with a few strands of his hair, absentmindedly.

"No fair," she finally complained.

Neji shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well."

She looked up at him again, just in time to be met with another kiss.

Now that their spar was officially over she let herself react more to his kiss. Their tongues met again and her stomach fluttered and she felt a growing desire deep inside of her. She felt small bursts of his chakra in her legs, he was opening up the tenketsu points he had closed.

To her, it didn't make a difference, she wouldn't be able to stand either way.

Once he finished, he kept one arm around her waist and let the other roam over her.

She loved and hated this part. His fingers felt amazing and she was always surprised about how sensitive her body was to his touch, even with so many layers of clothing between them.

It was never quite enough for her though but she wasn't about to risk getting caught at the training grounds. Recovering from a kiss when someone was approaching was easy enough, recovering naked? Not so easy.

But the more they kissed the more she wanted from him. Every time his fingers brushed over her nipples she wondered how much better his hands would feel if clothing wasn't interfering.

As if reading her mind, his hand slipped under her shirt, leaving a warm path from her stomach up to her bra. She broke their kiss and panted heavily, looking down as his hand morphed the shape of her shirt over her breast. He ran his thumb over her erect nipple and she moaned softly.

They kissed again as he played with the sensitive piece of flesh, rolling it around in his fingers and pulling small moans out of her.

She clung to him tightly, not sure how much longer it would last, gasping again when she felt him pull her hips tighter against his, letting her feel his desire for her.

And just like that it was over.

His hand withdrew from her shirt and he broke their kiss.

She frowned. This had been the most adventurous they had gotten and now it was over.

"Lee and Guy are on their way."

He confirmed her suspicions. She also was amazed at how he could manage to focus on his surroundings enough to sense their chakra. She had carelessly ignored everything that wasn't Neji.

She untangled herself from him, a rush of cold sweeping in to cruelly remind her that she was no longer in his arms. She smoothed out her shirt as she tried to collect herself, suddenly hyperaware of the wetness between her legs.

She looked over to Neji, who had already composed himself and was waiting for her to walk back to the clearing.

She sighed, wishing her body would calm down. She wasn't prepared to face her other teammates, but she didn't have much of a choice now.

They reached their belongings and she plopped herself onto the grass and reached for Neji's backpack, where she knew a thermos of hot tea was waiting for her.

He sat down next to her as she began to dig into his bag. "Can I help you?" He teased.

"Nope, I found it!" She grinned as she pulled the thermos out of his bag. She looked in again and pulled out four mugs. Neji always brought enough tea for everyone to their training sessions. He took the thermos from her and opened the lid.

Tenten left two mugs on the ground, next to her, and held the other two out for Neji to pour the tea into.

The hot tea warmed her hands through the ceramic and she smiled, enjoying the heat.

She eagerly sipped the tea, hoping it would calm her down. She still hadn't been able to quell her desire and she knew that Lee's presence would only frustrate her.

Surely enough, she sighed as she saw Lee and their sensei appear in the tree line, bodies clad in green spandex, walking on their hands, balancing their lunches on top of their heads.

When they arrived, exploding with energy, the four sat together and ate lunch. Tenten let herself daydream while Lee talked excitedly about his morning training session with Guy, while Guy nodded proudly at his student.

Neji would add a comment every now and then but Tenten stayed mostly silent, her body hyperaware of Neji's next to her and her mind back in the woods.

Her heart sped up and she felt herself flush as her body began to react automatically to the memory.

She cursed silently. Lunch was going to be long.

**~o0o~**

By the time lunch was over, Tenten was frustrated and flustered. What was even more frustrating was knowing that she couldn't spend the afternoon with Neji today. He had an afternoon training session with Hinata.

So she reluctantly let him walk her home, knowing that he couldn't stay.

They reached her door and paused.

"You sure you don't want to come with me?" Neji started, "Hinata-sama would enjoy seeing you."

Tenten smiled, she liked Hinata.

"Tempting, but I'd like to take a shower first. I'll stop by after." She fished her key out of her pocket and sighed.

"Ok." He took her key from her and unlocked her apartment, letting her in. Neji stepped inside behind her and closed the door. He pulled her into a quick, deep kiss. They parted. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," she sighed. And with that he was gone, closing the door softly behind him.

Tenten sighed again, feeling that familiar feeling between her legs again and made her way into her room, peeling off her clothes. She reached her bed and looked at her nightstand, feeling her stomach flip.

She opened the top drawer and chewed her lip.

She retrieved a slim toy from the drawer and moved towards the bathroom. She was running short on time. If her "shower" took to long, Neji would ask questions.

And she certainly wasn't ready to come up with a lie as to why she was late, only to have him call her out. And she certainly wouldn't admit that she was late because she was masturbating.

Something told her, however, that after the events that morning, she wouldn't need long.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Kind of a shorter chapter, but I wanted to do a follow up. Haven't had too much time to write this week. More to come.


	3. Chapter 3

_I really want to do just what my body wants to_  
><em>I really want to do just what my body needs to<em>  
><em>I really want to show my girl that I want her <em>  
><em>I really want to show my girl that I need her<em>

_Need her_  
><em>I need her<em>

_- Animal Collective  
>Guys Eyes<em>

* * *

><p>Tenten sat across from Hinata, sipping her tea. She had joined Hinata at a small restaurant for lunch. Of the konoichi her age, Tenten liked Hinata the most. Granted, she enjoyed the company of Ino and Sakura, she could often only handle them in small doses.<p>

Ino was just a bit too much for Tenten, always eager and excited and ready to gossip or prod her about boys. Sakura was nice, but Tenten sometimes got hung up on the fact that Sakura was Tsunade's student. Tenten had always wanted to be like Tsunade and seeing someone else follow in her hero's path understandably hurt.

Granted she no longer aspired to be like the fifth, she still admired her and let Tsundade fuel her own passions and dreams. Still, it was hard not to be jealous.

Hinata was quiet, like Neji, and Tenten needed more people in her life that knew when to talk and when to listen.

But right now, neither of them were talking. It was a quiet lunch. Both of their minds were elsewhere, Tenten knew. Even still, it was nice to have the comfort of someone's presence without having to explain yourself. Hinata didn't ask why Tenten was distracted and she didn't ask Hinata, although she knew that Hinata was worried about Naruto's latest mission.

No details had been released about the mission, so it was safe to say it carried a high risk of danger. And in these days, missions like that usually involved Akatsuki or Sauske.

Tenten's mind was filled with conflict over worry. She was bursting at the seams. She wanted more than anything to confide in Hinata about Neji. She knew Hinata wouldn't tell anyone but she also knew that Neji would be upset if someone from the main branch knew about them.

They hadn't worked out all of the details of their relationship yet. Tenten had a hard time pulling information from Neji, but she suspected that the Hyūga's had plans for an arranged marriage. A clan that old and noble wouldn't let someone with Neji's skills and abilities reproduce with just anyone. But she also knew that whatever they had wasn't a fling. She knew he was keeping silent because he was trying to work out a solution to make the main branch accept Tenten as his girlfriend.

_I mean, it's not like we're about to get married. We're just dating._ Tenten thought. Hinata would accept her though, she knew that much. And Hinata would keep their relationship to herself until the time came to approach Hiashi and the elders, where she would back up Neji, at least in Tenten's imagination.

Her secret might be a bit easier to keep if their time alone didn't always end too soon. If she didn't get Neji in her apartment soon, she was going to go insane. Their heated make out sessions after training were starting to irritate her. It wasn't enough for her anymore, and she suspected he felt the same, but she wasn't sure how to move forward.

Did she invite him over for coffee? That seemed cliché and corny. She didn't want cliché, but she wanted more. She was at a bit of a stand still.

She let out a light sigh, but it was enough to grab Hinata's attention and suddenly both women remembered where they were.

"Is everything alright, Tenten?" Hinata began, "You seem distracted."

"Eh, it's nothing important," she began. She sucked at lying, so she tried to change the subject, "I'm just thinking about the past few missions we've all had to go on."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "You guys fought Kisame from Atkasuski, right?"

"Yeah," Tenten didn't much like talking about that mission. She had almost drowned. Even though they had all had their fare share of dangerous missions this was the first time she had been on a mission where she was sure she was going to die.

"What do you think they're up to?" Hinata continued, "Why do you think they want Naruto-kun?"

"I don't know. Hopefully we never will know."

Hinata nodded. "I hope he comes back safely…"

Tenten looked up at Hinata and smiled. "He will! He always does. He's something else, isn't he?"

Hinata blushed. "Y-yes, he is."

"I just wish he wasn't so boneheaded."

"Tenten!"

"Everyone else can see how you feel for him. I don't know why he can't." Hinata sighed and poked her index fingers together, a nervous habit she had. Tenten frowned, she forgot that she couldn't always be blunt around Hinata. "It's okay, Hinata, he'll see. He's an awesome guy and he's lucky to have you watching out for him."

She blushed harder.

"You should tell him how you feel."

"I-I-" she stammered, "What if h-he doesn't…"

"Then he's even more of a bonehead than I thought!" Tenten laughed, hoping to relax her friend.

Hinata giggled nervously.

"Love isn't always obvious. Sometimes its right in front of your face and you just don't see it. You have to help him see it."

"How?"

Tenten thought back to that day, sitting under the tree with Neji's hand in her lap, tracing the lines on his palm. She felt her cheeks warm.

"You either have to confess your love to him, or convince him to confess his love to you."

"I can't do that!" Hinata stammered.

"Why not?" The look of panic on Hinata's face confirmed to Tenten that it sounded terrifying to the girl. "It's supposed to scare you, Hinata. Love is scary."

"You seem to know a lot about this."

"Uh," Tenten's advice might have been too good. "Well, you know Guy-sensei, always going on about youth and love. Sometimes what he says makes sense."

God, she was really fishing for an excuse.

"That makes sense," Hinata smiled, "Thanks Tenten."

"Y-you're welcome!" _She can't have bought that, could she?_

"But now you have to tell me," _Damnit. _ Tenten didn't like where this was going.

"Tell you what?"

"The truth."

"Wha-?" Tenten blushed.

"You're not a very good liar, Tenten. Besides, I think I already know, anyway."

Tenten chewed the inside of her lip, holding her drink in her hands tightly.

"What do you think you know?" She inquired.

"Something finally happened between you and Neji-niisan." Tenten felt her face warm and a wave of adrenaline shot through her chest.

"What do you mean?!"

"You both seem distracted lately, and he seems happier."

Now it was Tenten's turn to be a nervous wreck.

"I guess there's no point in denying it to you…"

"I won't say anything. I know that the elders wouldn't be thrilled."

Tenten frowned, her suspicions confirmed.

"But only because they'd underestimate you. They are so hung up on Neji-niisan's abilities that they forget he's a person, like you and me. He should be able to do what he wants. They want him to marry my sister…" Hinata trailed off. Tenten knew it had to hurt Hinata to be passed up as Heir, which seemed more likely to happen every day. "But Neji-niisan doesn't usually listen to the elders on matters like that."

"I know."

"Don't worry, Tenten, I'll back you guys up no matter what you decide to do."

"Thanks Hinata."

**~o0o~**

Tenten sat cross-legged on the couch, TV softly humming in front of her. She had been polishing her weapons, but was feeling distracted again.

She was chilly in her tank top and shorts and was waiting on the kettle to whistle. Meanwhile, she had wrapped a blanket around her and abandoned her weapons on the coffee table.

She was staring blankly at the tv, looking past the screen while running her fingers absentmindedly through her loose hair. It hung in loose curls and kinked sharply around the crown of her head from being tied up all day. As much as she loved wearing her hair up, she loved taking it down in the evening even more. The tension in her head melted away with her buns whenever she pulled out the hair elastics. She moved her fingers in small circles over her scalp enjoying the massage.

When she sensed his chakra she panicked. Her hands stilled and her eyes snapped to the door. She hadn't been expecting him to come over and she wasn't sure what to do. She stood up, as nervousness swam through her and the door unlocked.

All of Team Guy had exchanged keys early on, for emergencies, but they had never really needed them before. Now Neji was letting himself in.

She was excited at the idea that he felt comfortable enough to waltz into her apartment like it was his own, but she also kept it in the back of her mind to tease him about letting himself in. But that could wait.

The door opened and the kettle whistled.

Neji stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Tenten stood awkwardly in the living room, clutching the blanket around her still. He smiled at her.

"I think your tea is ready."

"R-right!" She stumbled into the kitchen, the blanket falling off her shoulders and pooling on the floor. She pulled the tea kettle off the stove and called out to him, "Do you want some tea?"

"No." Her stomach churned. He rarely said no to tea. She decided she didn't need to waste time with any tea either. She turned off the burner and replaced the tea kettle on the stove. She didn't know how long she had.

He met her at the threshold to the kitchen and pulled her into a needy kiss.

Tenten responded, immediately, kissing him back and wrapping her arms around him. Instead of one long kiss, they exchanged several hurried kisses. His lips were warm and soft against hers. He pulled her lower lip between his and gently nipped at it and she felt her knees melt under her.

She felt them move and then the cool wall press against her back. She felt his hands on her thighs and he lifted her legs up. She hugged them tightly around his waist, a gentle ache beginning to gnaw at her core. Their kisses slowed down. They were less hurried and more loving. Eventually they stopped and Neji pressed his forehead against hers. Slow, lust filled pants slid from her lungs but Neji looked completely in control, as usual.

"How was your afternoon?"

Tenten smiled, her breathing evening out.

"You come in unannounced like you own the place and that's all you have to say?"

"I missed you." He pressed another kiss to her lips and she let out a content sigh.

"My afternoon was good, how was yours?"

"Better, now." Tenten giggled nervously.

"You know you don't have to sweet talk me." _I'll do whatever you want._ She added, silently.

"I didn't think I was." He kissed her again. "Did you enjoy lunch with Hinata-sama?"

"Yes."

"What did you two talk about?"

"Naruto." _Does he know something, or is he actually curious? _

"Hn. There's a surprise." Tenten giggled.

"She's worried about him." Tenten paused. "But let's talk about something else."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why?"

_Because I don't want to talk._

"Because I don't believe that you came here and pinned me to the wall just to ask me about lunch with your cousin."

He lifted her away from the wall and she gasped. "You're right." She held onto him tightly as he led them to the couch.

She unwound her legs from his waist as he sat down. Now she was straddling his lap.

Tenten slid her fingers through Neji's hair until she found his forehead protector and she untied it. She pulled it off and discarded it on the cushion next to them.

He watched her carefully as she looked at his curse mark. She smiled at him and planted a kiss on his forehead.

Then she kissed his lips again. They continued their slow, gentle kiss for another minute. Eventually their kisses became deeper, more urgent. The lust quickly returned, surging heat through her body and settling between her legs. The ache returned. Tonight Tenten would make sure she was not left wanting.

She felt desire sink deeper into her navel as she ran her fingers over his chest, wondering if she dared remove his shirt. Before she could commit, she felt his hands on her shoulders.

He hooked his fingers around the straps of her tank top and pulled them down her arms. She pulled away from him, blushing and shocked. Her shirt was now around her waist, her breasts exposed.

She pulled her arms out of the sleeves and halfheartedly covered herself, not wanting to ruin the moment, but too shy to bare her breasts to him.

Neji responded to her nervousness by pulling her in close, so that he couldn't see. They kissed again and she felt his hands on her back. It felt amazing. His hands roamed her back and sides for a few minutes while she got comfortable with her shirt off. Eventually Tenten leaned back and Neji's hands immediately moved to her breasts.

She gasped as his fingers plucked and rolled her nipples, gently playing with them.

She watched him play with her, amazed that she wasn't dreaming.

Her hands moved to the button on his shirt. They stumbled nervously around the button as she unfastened it and pushed his shirt open.

She ran her fingers over the soft skin of his chest and he let go of her breasts, just long enough to take his shirt off.

They kissed again and Neji's hands found her hips and pulled her into him. A moan rattled in Tenten's throat as she felt his erection against her.

He groaned back, in response to her, and moved his lips to her neck.

He waisted no time trailing kisses down her neck and chest until he took one of her breasts into is mouth, sucking gently on her nipple as he ran his tongue over her, pulling a moan from her.

He moved onto her other breast and she felt the cold air against her nipple. While he kissed her she ran her fingers up and down his chest, causing him to groan softly.

She smiled wickedly when she ran her fingers along the inside of the waistband of his pants and he gasped. She decided that teasing Neji was fun.

She pulled back, making him abandon her breasts and met him in another kiss.

She began to tease him slowly with heavy kisses and roaming hands. She pressed her hips down against his again. His grip on her hips tightened as he held her down, pushing his erection into her. Breaking their kiss, she leaned forward and moaned softly into his ear. Neji moaned back eagerly in response. She pulled him into another deep, lusty kiss and she rocked her hips against him. They both moaned through the kiss and she broke away, panting.

She pressed her lips against his neck and trailed her hands lower, hitching a finger in his waistband. She again traced the skin with her finger and smiled when he gasped each time her flingers slid over his stomach. She let go and brought her hands back up to cradle his face while they kissed. She grinned through their kiss and went to work running her hands up and down his torso as they traded kisses. Each time she came closer, until she ran her fingers over the tented cloth of his pants.

She went to pull her hand away, but Neji grabbed her wrist and kept it in place. She fell into another kiss, giving in. She began to tease him less, rubbing her hand over his length.

She finally let her hand slide into his pants and he gasped again as she wrapped her fingers around him. She began to stroke him, experimenting. The faster the pace the more moans she could pull from him. When she slowed down his moans grew longer and he panted between them, silently begging her to move faster again.

Almost immediately Neji's hands began working their way into Tenten's shorts. It was her turn to gasp as a shiver ran down her spine when he slide his hand down into her panties.

She felt his cool fingers slide through her curls and tease her lips. It felt amazing. Eventually he pressed his fingers in between her lips. She moaned once they found their target. He began to rub her clit. She felt her hand on him slow until she eventually paused as she relished in her newly found pleasure. Her head tilted back as she let out a moan. Her thoughts clouded as the only thing she could feel was his fingers slick against her with her own wetness. She tried to focus on pleasuring him, but found it hard to keep pumping her hand when his fingers were causing so much pleasure.

Every stroke felt better than the last and Tenten found herself rocking her hips against his hand, building up her pleasure. "Neji!" she gasped. He looked up at her, greeting her panicked lust with hungry eyes. Her head rolled back again as she moaned. She had abandoned his penis for the moment as she panted harder. "Please," she begged.

"Please what?" He growled. She moaned again.

"Please!" She was beyond words. She could only moan and beg as her hips rocked against his fingers.

"Tell me," he ordered, lustily.

She moaned again. "Don't stop. Don't stop. Please Neji." He moaned and kept his pace against her as she continued her four word loop.

Tenten was sure she was losing her mind as the pleasure became more intense. She absolutely lost control when Neji whispered the most amazing sentence she had ever heard into her ear. "Cum for me," he whispered. She cried out at his words. She felt like she was at her breaking point. He whispered those three words again. "Cum for me."

And she did. Her legs tightened and her body jerked as a long, heated moan escaped her. She grabbed his wrist, and his fingers fell still, adding gentle pressure, extending her orgasm.

And as quickly as it had come, it had gone. She panted and rested her head on his shoulder. Warmth ran up her body as she tingled in pleasure. She felt like she could melt into him. She let out one last sigh before his fingers moved again. He quickly brought another orgasm out of her.

Once she had recovered she pulled away from him and sat down on the floor. She looked up at him in time to see his breath hitch. She grinned, wickedly.

She unbuttoned his pants and pulled out his member. She stroked him gently and he moaned.

Shyly, she moved her lips closer to him. She watched his penis jerk in anticipation as she breathed over it. She looked up at him, watching her with glazed eyes, hoping she would follow through. She pressed her lips against him and his reaction was instant. He sucked in air sharply and threaded his fingers through her hair. Tenten parted her lips and pressed her tongue against him and watched as he threw his head back and moaned.

Feeling confident, she took the tip into her mouth and began to run her tongue over the surface. She took more of him into her mouth and began to bob her head up and down. "Fuck." She heard him curse and moan again. Neji didn't swear easily and she loved being able to pull one from his lips. She moaned with him in her mouth and he moaned again. She began to suck on him faster and he moaned more urgently. She felt his hips jerk under her, as he greeted her with gentle thrusts. She wanted to bring him as much pleasure as he had given her, so she picked up her pace, bobbing up and down quickly, her tongue dancing across his head. "Tenten…" he gasped and she kept her pace, even though her jaw began to stiffen. He gave one last long moan and she felt him spill into her mouth. She held him between her lips until he stopped pulsing. She released him and swallowed. She pulled away and looked up at her lover. His head rested back against the couch, and his eyes were closed as he panted softly.

She rested her chin on his knee. With his eyes still closed, he buttoned his pants and finally looked down at her, watching as she pulled her shirt back on. She smiled and he smiled back. He pulled her up onto the couch and she curled up in his lap. They shared a soft kiss and she rested her head in the crook of his neck as she allowed her arousal to wind down. She knew she could stay like this forever, but that he would soon want to get up. Neji wasn't one for laying around. She cherished every second in his arms.

He idly ran his fingers up and down her arm. Tenten loved the feeling. Her eyes felt heavy as his breathing evened out and his steady heartbeat soothed her. Eventually his hand stilled and his breathing slowed.

Tenten smiled, wondering if he would actually fall asleep. It was very unlike him. Tenten decided she would let him doze and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat.

After a few minutes she felt him inhale sharply and straighten up. His fingers traced up her arm again and she smiled.

"Tenten," his voice was thick with sleep. Her eyes fluttered open.

"What's up?"

"Can I take you up on that offer for a cup of tea now?"

She giggled.

"Of course!" She sat up and got off the couch and walked into the kitchen while Neji pulled his shirt on. She put the tea kettle back on the burner and turned on the stove and began searching through her stash to find something with a little extra caffeine to help him wake up.

A few minutes later she emerged from the kitchen with two cups of tea. Joy swept through her when she saw him before her on the couch. He was polishing on of her kunai for her.

She didn't think it was possible for her to be any happier than she was right at this second.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Long and lemon? Haha. I guess. Hope it wasn't terrible... Thanks for reading. More to come.


	4. Chapter 4

_It honestly was beautifully bold  
>Like trying to save an ice cube from the cold<br>But even if we had been sure enough it's  
>true we really didn't know<br>Even if we knew which way to head but  
>still we probably wouldn't go<em>

_Fire It Up  
>Modest Mouse<em>

* * *

><p>Tenten shivered as the frigid wind sliced through the air. She was cold and tired, which was making her irritable... which was making dealing with her teammates difficult.<p>

Lee and Guy were chatting excitedly about their mission, Lee recounting the events and seeking the approval of their sensei.

Guy, of course, was showering Lee in praise.

Tenten was trying to ignore them while she imagined being somewhere warmer.

Neji seemed to be being... well, Neji. He didn't look like the cold or the guys were bothering him. That annoyed Tenten too. Everything seemed to come easy to him.

"Tenten!" She looked up to see Lee, who had spun around to greet her and was walking backwards. "How did you enjoy our mission?!"

Tenten gritted her teeth, she was too cold and miserable to entertain Lee at the moment.

"It was fine," she responded quickly.

"What was your favorite part?"

"I don't know, Lee."

"Surely there must be something!"

"Lee," Neji's warning was stern. Unlike their optimistic teammate, Neji had picked up on Tenten's demeanor.

Lee disregarded the warning and pressed on. "We are at the peak of our youth! Surely you enjoyed your encounter with the enemy! Your skills continue to blossom every day!"

"Thanks Lee." Her voice was tired, but she took the complement genuinely. All the same, she knew that she wasn't out of the woods yet. Lee had enough energy for the two of them, and it sometimes felt that he gained that extra energy by zapping her's.

"What shall we do now?!"

Tenten shrugged, hugging her arms to her as another breeze rushed past. Neji stayed silent.

"There must be something we can do to make our trip back to Konoha memorable! Neji?" Nothing. "Tenten?"

"Ask me after I've had a hot bath," she grumbled.

"Guy-sensei!" Lee spun around again to face his mentor. "Since we are finished with our mission may we find somewhere for Tenten to relax for the night?"

Tenten and Neji both raised a skeptical eyebrow as they met each other's surprised gaze. Was Lee really requesting to rest?

"A brilliant idea, Lee!" Tenten was again surprised. "Rest is very important," Guy added, "with proper rest we can continue training to become even stronger!"

"Yes!"

"I know of a small inn not to far from here," Guy mused, "I believe they even have a bath house."

Tenten lit up. "Really?!"

"I think we've just about earned it!"

"Just about?" Neji finally chimed in, having read between the lines.

"Very observant, Neji! The inn is just a few miles away. I propose a youthful race!"

Lee's eyes lit up at the proposed challenge. "Guy-sensei! What a wonderful idea!"

Tenten's excitement left her. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Stated Guy.

"You can't be serious!" Tenten was tired and cold, she was ready to argue this.

"But I am!" Guy smiled at her, flashing a thumbs-up. "We will get there much sooner and the race will not only warm us up, but provide good training. I bet we could get there in 20 minutes!"

"15 minutes!" Interjected Lee, raising his hand excitedly.

"We're not racing!"

"Oh, but we are!" Stated Guy.

"Yes!" Shouted Lee, "Neji!" He spun around and pointed at the Hyūga with fierce determination burning in his eyes. "I will beat you there and if I cannot win I will do 1,000 laps around the inn!"

"Suit yourself."

"Neji!" Tenten reeled. How could he encourage their behavior?

"Leave it, Tenten." She fumed.

Granted, she knew that he wouldn't be able to persuade them anymore than she could, his tendency to avoid their squabbles drove her nuts.

"They're right," he added, trying to soften the harshness of his words, "it'll help you warm up and we'll be there sooner. Besides, there's no convincing them otherwise."

"It's settled then!" Said Guy and the two green-glad ninja took off, leaving Neji and Tenten trailing behind.

**~o0o~**

Her chest heaved as she approached the inn. Lee and Guy had just arrived. Neji had stayed behind with her, not engaging Lee in the challenge.

She hated that she had to begrudgingly admit to herself that their sensei had been right.

Quickly she pushed her way through the door, seeking warmth, causing the others to follow her lead.

Guy booked them a room. Tenten could not wait to strip off her dirty clothes and sink into a hot bath. So, naturally, when they entered the room, the first thing she did was drop her bag and dig a couple of plush towels out of the bathroom.

"I'm going to go take that bath now," she announced.

"Wonderful," said Guy, "we will meet you there shortly."

"I'll come now."

Tenten giggled, she knew that Neji couldn't stand to be left alone with them. She passed him a towel and he opened the door, letting her step out of the room.

He followed her and closed the door with a soft click. They fell in step next to each other and fell into silence.

She hooked her index finger around his and smiled. He let her hold his finger, a faint smile on his lips as well.

"So," she started, "the inn was built by a natural hot spring."

"Sounds nice."

"Mmm." And, she added, "because of that, it's mixed." He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, as if questioning the motive behind her words. She poked him with her free hand and giggled. "I meant, Mr. One-Track-Mind, that you wouldn't have to be stuck with just the company of Lee and Guy-sensei."

"Lucky me." She smiled at his sarcastic tone and they continued their walk in silence.

Even though the hot spring was mixed, the changing rooms were not, and they soon parted ways.

Tenten shed her clothes, released her buns, and headed to the washing station. She scrubbed her skin until it was pink, relishing in the scent of the soaps that had been provided. It felt amazing to scrub off the dried dirt and sweat.

She washed her hair, rinsing it under the faucet, and tied her towel tight around her. She wrung her hair out with her hands and combed her fingers through the wet strands, trying to make it look somewhat presentable.

Neji had beat her there. She spied him in the corner, leaning back against a rock. He had clipped his hair up and she giggled at the absurdity of that as she slipped into the hot water next to him.

He opened his eyes and met her gaze as she sunk down on the seat.

"Nice hair," she teased. Neji's eyes narrowed. She responded by flicking water in his face.

He easily caught her wrist and leaned in close, his other hand finding the back of her neck. She breathed nervously, feeling shy in her towel for the first time. The bath was making her lightheaded… Or was it Neji? Or, perhaps, both.

He pressed a kiss to her lips. She resisted melting into it, knowing that giving in would cause her to lose track of everything, meaning someone else might catch them. She clung tightly to the fading reality around her.

When his tongue slid across her lips, seeking entrance, she pulled away.

"What do you think you're doing?" Her voice was thick with her teasing nature, as she tried to quell her hormones.

"What do you think?" He stated, bluntly.

"I don't think you deserve to kiss me after this afternoon," she continued, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Is that so?" He challenged.

"Yes." She crossed her arms.

"And why is that?"

"Because you didn't even try to stop them." Tenten pouted, thinking back to Guy's race suggestion.

"You know I don't like to get involved."

"You should have still stuck up for me!"

He frowned. "There's no talking the two of them out of anything."

"You're so stubborn!"

"You like it."

She huffed. He smirked. The argument was over and she had lost.

"Doesn't mean you have to be such a jerk," she mumbled.

Neji's fingers found her chin and he stared at her for a good minute before speaking again.

"I'm sorry." Her heart fluttered and he kissed her softly, as a grin spread across her face.

"Thanks Neji," she whispered against his lips. He pulled away and intertwined his fingers with hers under the water. A few minutes later Lee and Guy splashed loudly into the spring and Tenten allowed herself to laugh and joke around with them, finally relaxed.

**~o0o~**

Tenten stood in the middle of the room, cloaked in darkness. The cool air clung to her skin and she missed the warmth of her blanket.

Around her, her teammates all slumbered peacefully, but she was restless. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she scanned the room.

It was a small room with two sets of bunk beds. Guy was to her left with Lee above him and Neji to her right, with her empty bed above him. Her chest fluttered when she glanced at him.

It was his fault she couldn't sleep.

It was getting difficult to continue sleeping near him without being able to be next to him. She had put up with it for the past few weeks, but tonight she was at her breaking point. Perhaps it was their exchange in the bath earlier. Perhaps she was tired of hiding. Either way, her need had found her standing in the middle of the room, frozen, unsure of how to proceed next.

She thought for another minute, chewing on her lower lip, before deciding.

Silently she walked over to the bed. The mattress gave gently, as her knee sunk in.

She swung her other leg over her lover and curled over him, her loose hair hiding their faces.

His eyes snapped open.

A silent conversation passed between them before she sat back on his lap and pressed her lips to his jaw. She heard him inhale sharply as she traced wet kisses down his neck, nipping at the skin lightly.

He opened his mouth to offer a protest, but she silenced it with her lips on his, cupping his face gently. When she deepened the kiss, he inhaled sharply and pulled her closer, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

He rolled them onto their sides and pulled the blankets over her, in a poor attempt to hide her from their roommates.

They continued to kiss silently. Neji propped himself up on his elbow and hovered over her, hoping to conceal her more, before planting additional kisses on her.

He used his free hand to caress her stomach lightly, before crawling up her shirt and gently running his thumb over her nipple.

She gasped lightly and he quickly hushed her.

Tenten arched her back, pressing her breast further into his hand. She knew that new relationships were often filled with horrible lust-filled mistakes, but she was also surprised that Neji was giving into his desires so quickly.

Eventually they let their hands roam further and he smirked as she squirmed under him, trying hard to keep silent.

Granted, he was having just as much trouble keeping quiet as her.

He pushed her shirt up, exposing her breasts and began tasting them as his hand slid back down between her legs.

The sensations always overwhelmed her. Every time he touched her, sparks seemed to shoot out of his finger tips, leaving a tingling trail wherever they went.

It wasn't long before Tenten forgot where she was and let a small moan squeak out. It barely lasted a second and was just louder than a whisper but it brought them back into the bed room, lips parted, hands stilled, praying that the others hadn't heard them.

Their panicked eyes met, breathing ragged and lips chapped, both clinging to each other as they heard their sensei groan and roll over, a low snore escaping him.

She knew that they had pushed their luck too far and that they should stop while they were ahead. But her hand was on him and she was close to her release.

Timidly, she began to resume their activities, sliding her hand over him again. He grunted silently and closed his eyes. She felt his fingers move against her again and she squirmed.

It wasn't long before he had her withering beneath him in the bed, her legs kicking softly under the sheets. Her back arched up and her mouth hung open, moaning silently.

When she had relaxed again, she brought him to his climax. He shuttered over her as he spilled onto her stomach.

The lights flickered on and they panicked.

He ripped her shirt back down over her breasts and she winced, feeling the shirt dampen with the mess he had left on her. She was thankful for the blanket that covered their waists and quickly helped him pull up his pants. Tenten was grateful that Neji had left her pants on, just sliding his hand down the waistband, so she didn't have much to recover from.

Within seconds Lee was standing over them, looking quizzical.

Her face burned. She noted that Neji had not yet looked back at their teammate yet, he kept his eyes focused on the wall behind her.

"Lee," she finally brought herself to say his name, "What are you doing up?"

"I got up to use the bathroom and I thought I heard something. I noticed you weren't in your bed and I became worried! Why are you in Neji's bed?" Neji closed his eyes, as if physically pained by the question, and she wondered if it was possible for her face to be any redder than it was now.

It was then that she realized that Neji was still perched over her, his hand slung lazily over her waist. Beneath the sheets, her legs were twisted with his, and she clung lightly to his shirt.

Why did Lee have to point out the obvious?

"Well," she shivered at the voice of her sensei pierced her ears. "It would seem that Neji has captured the heart of our youthful flower!"

"Really, Guy-sensei?" He turned his attention back to them. "Neji, is it true that you have captured our Tenten's heart?!" He stayed silent, jaw set tightly. Tenten hid her face in his shirt, mortified.

After another agonizing moment of silence, Neji finally spoke, not taking his eyes off the wall before him.

"I suppose I have."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the long wait between updates. Busy life is busy. Please review. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

_When can you come over, and then when you gotta leave?  
>'Cause it won't take me forever to be hiding up your sleeve.<br>Please oh can't you please just stay on over for the night?  
>And please oh won't you please just plug my ears and hold me tight?<br>When I scream it's like I'm in the middle of the fight.  
>Bring me daylight.<em>

_-Lions_  
><em>tUnE-yArDs<em>

* * *

><p>Winter was lazy.<p>

Neji and Tenten weren't lazy by nature, but as their lust swelled, they found it harder to do much outside of each other's arms.

More mornings than he cared to admit, Neji would find himself happily laying in Tenten's bed, weaving idil chitchat with pleasure.

He didn't always stay the night, as that would require an explanation to his uncle. Instead, he would lie about the length of his missions by a day or two in order to spend the night in the privacy of her apartment.

As far as family was concerned, Neji's daily routine had not changed. He would rise early and head out for "training" - training, of course, being sliding back into bed and relishing in the sleepy warmth that radiated off of his lover's body.

He had never known her to be grumpy in the morning - after all of their years doing missions together she had always seemed full of energy. But he supposed the risk of their missions kept her focused, for when he woke her in her bed she would grumble and complain and push him away from her until he would find a sweet spot to kiss and her irritation would dissolve into sighs and moans until she would eventually beg him to take her, and he would.

This morning, in particular, had been exactly the same.

As he lay next to her, catching his breath, he thought back to the first time they'd had sex.

It had been awkward, yet perfect in it's own way.

They had tried a few times before, but nerves had gotten the better of them and Tenten was convinced that he would never fit inside of her (he had tried, and her nerves had caused her to clench her muscles too much to allow him in).

After a few separate attempts he was finally able to relax her enough to move forward. As he pressed into her, the pleasure had been instant, but she had yelped in pain and he left her instantly, lust turned to concern.

Hovering over her, he stroked her face and asked if she was okay, noticing tears gather in the corners of her eyes. After taking in a shaky breath she admitted that she thought she was alright and wanted to continue.

A few kisses and her hand on him convinced him as she brought back his arousal and he pushed back into her, more gently this time. She winced slightly, at first, but as he slid in and out of her, the pained look melted away as she let her eyes roll back and a moan escape her.

He had hoped to coax a climax out of her, but the situation was already too much for him. Her tightness, her wetness, the way she hugged him with her legs, the moans, the kisses, the tangle of their bodies as they clumsily learned to move together; it all brought him to the edge faster than he'd expected and he withdrew from her at his climax.

Instead of cuddling after, he'd dressed partially and stripped the sheets from her bed, finding a small blood stain, reminding him of their surrendered innocence.

While he wet the sheets under the sink and tried to lift the stain, she laid down fresh sheets and flopped back into bed.

Resisting the urge to return to her, he'd poked her and asked for breakfast instead. He didn't want her to let him become lazy and lay in bed all day. That wasn't something he'd been interested in.

Yet as time brought him to his present situation, Neji had found that it had been just what she'd done. It was 10:30 and here he was, in her bed, admiring the way she fit so snugly in his arms. Her head was pressed against his chest and she was drawing lazy circles on his chest and stomach.

Both naked, he knew it wouldn't be long before she'd trail her fingers lower and look up at him with that cheeky grin of hers before grasping onto him and pulling him into her again.

**~o0o~**

When spring arrived she told him she loved him. She hadn't planned it. She had blurted out the words rather ungracefully during a mission.

Lee and Guy had gone to sleep and she was supposed to be asleep while Neji took the watch. Instead she'd conversed with him while watching the flames of their small campfire lick and crack at the wood.

She couldn't remember what they had been talking about, just that the words had fallen out of her lips and before she could scoop them back up he had turned to her with his knowing smirk, making her cheeks tingle with embarrassment.

She held her breath, wishing she'd kept her mouth shut and gone to sleep. And then she heard it. It was hardly more than a whisper.

"I love you too."

There it was.

Though his voice was light and quiet, it rang in her ears, making her lightheaded.

A grin formed on her lips.

He loved her.

**~o0o~**

And while spring was easy on their relationship, it was harsh in every other way possible. Tenten reflected on the chaos that Akatsuski had begun to bring to Konoha.

She smoothed her black dress over her stomach as she studied her reflection in the mirror. The dress clung to her body in a pleasing way, hugging her curves nicely. It was tight against her and exposed her collar bones with it's square neckline. Her sleeves came halfway down her forearms and she loved the way it fit her.

It was the only thing she liked about it.

She only wore this dress to funerals.

Sighing, she deserted the mirror and headed to the front door. She sat down on the floor and strapped on her sandals before leaving.

Tenten took her time walking to the Hyūga compound, wondering how it was possible for it to be such a lovely day. Children laughed and ran through the streets while the shouts of commerce filled her ears.

She spied a few other shinobi, easily identifying them by their black funeral garb.

Although she hadn't known Asuma well, she still felt an ache in her chest when she thought about his death.

She mourned for her friends who had lost their sensei and for Kurenai, who had lost her lover. She also allowed the depression of coming to terms with the morality of her and everyone she knew sink in deep.

Something told her that Asuma wouldn't be the only casualty of Akatsuski's plans and she mourned that inevitability.

Before she knew it, her thoughts had brought her to the compound gates. She let herself in, the Hyūgas being familiar with her through both Neji and Hinata.

She found Hinata sitting outside, dressed in black, and nursing a cup of tea. Tenten could see the worry that lined her face. She knew that Hinata was upset and worried about her sensei's loss. She moved across the compound and sat down next to her friend.

"Hi Hinata," Tenten smiled weakly at the girl. Hinata flashed a small smile back.

"Hi Tenten. Would you like some tea?"

Tenten nodded and watched Hinata pour her a mug.

"Is anyone else meeting us here?" She blew the steam off of her tea while she waited for Hintata's answer.

"Yes, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun and Lee-kun are supposed to meet us here."

"And Kurenai?" Tenten whispered the question, careful not to upset anyone.

"Shinkamaru-kun is with her." Tenten nodded and sipped at her tea. The flavors soothed her and she searched for words to move past the touchy subject.

"And Neji, is he still getting ready?"

"Yes, he said he'd be out shortly."

"Ah." Tenten sipped on her tea for another minute before swallowing the rest. She set the cup down on the tray next to her and slipped off her shoes. "I'm gonna go nag Neji to hurry up."

Hinata smiled at her. "Ok." She paused, before adding, "Just-uh-" she blushed.

"Don't worry, Hinata, I won't!" Tenten cut her off, both girls blushing at Hinata trying to warn her about getting caught doing anything - not that she'd imagine doing anything with Neji at the compound. It was risky and she had learned a good lesson about being risky when Lee and Guy had discovered them at the inn.

She padded her way down the hall until she reached his door and slid into his room. He was sitting at the end of his bed, dressed in black, meditating.

He came out of his practice when she entered the room and met her gaze.

They were all trying to cope with death in their own way.

She smiled at him, hoping to cheer at least one person up today.

"You take longer to get ready than me," she teased.

"I've been ready," he responded with an air of nonchalance. "I've just been waiting for everyone else to arrive." She closed the distance between them.

"How can you tell who's here if you hold yourself up in your room?"

"I figured someone would come get me. I was right, wasn't I?" He smirked at her.

"Technically, I suppose you were. But, no one else is here yet."

"So you're not here to come get me?"

"No, I am," she contemplated, "Hinata just seemed like she needed a minute alone."

"Are you sure you didn't need a minute alone with me?" He quirked an eyebrow at her and she blushed. He had his answer and grinned.

The next thing she knew he was towering over her and then he was kissing her. His hands were at her hips, pulling up the skirt of her dress. And then her back fell into his bed. Her skirt was pushed up over her hips and Neji was tugging at her panties before she stopped him.

"Neji!" she gasped his name before meeting his gaze. "It doesn't seem appropriate!" Her voice was hushed and betrayed her as it hung heavy with lust.

He just shrugged at her.

"People deal with grief in different ways." And then he stripped her of her panties and pressed his face between her legs. She jerked as his tongue flicked across every inch of her.

She suppressed a moan as best she could and her hands fisted against the sheets as he continued to kiss her and roll his tongue over her clit.

She felt him push his fingers into her and panted heavily. Suddenly she forgot about everything. She forgot that she was supposed to be mourning, that a comrade had fallen in battle, that her friends may have already arrived, and the consequences of getting caught. She just knew she wanted him inside of her.

She came silently, her body jerking as her back arched. Neji abruptly pulled away, grinning as she panted with desire.

He bent over and scooped her panties off the floor.

"What are you doing?" She sat up on her elbows, catching her breath. She froze when she watched him tuck the undergarment into his pocket. "Give those back!"

"Later." She felt the color drain from her face.

"This is not the time for games like that!" He just smirked at her and turned to leave the room.

"You'd better hurry, we'll be late." And then he left her alone in his room, dress bunched up at her waist, exposing her sex. She was now left with nothing. She cursed and stood up, pulling her dress back down over her hips.

She smoothed her buns and marched out of the room, knees shaking.

She decided she was going to kill him.

When she reached the grounds she found that everyone else had arrived. Neji gave her a knowing look and she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Find the bathroom okay, I hope?" Asked Hinata.

"Huh?"

"Neji-niisan said you stopped to use the bathroom. I trust you found it alright?"

"Right! Yes! Thank's Hinata."

"Shall we?" Neji stated. Everyone nodded in silence, as Tenten remembered why they had all gathered.

Silently they all donned their shoes and left for the funeral.

She felt a rush slide through her body when Neji casually stuck his hand in his pocket.

**~o0o~**

He made her wait all afternoon. She squirmed uncomfortably every time she remembered her predicament. She wished that her skirt had been a bit longer.

She sat down on her knees at the barbecue restaurant after the funeral. Everyone was to pitch in to buy Team 10 lunch.

Tenten knew that lunch at Choji's favorite restaurant couldn't fix all the pain the three of them were going through, but she also hoped that the gesture meant something to them.

They ate in contemplative silence. Tenten frowned, even Naruto was silent.

Eventually they finished eating and as Tenten set down her chopsticks the crisp smell of tobacco filled her senses. She looked over to Shikamaru who had lit a cigarette.

He took a heavy drag and exhaled without a cough. She figured this must not be his first one.

When the scent reached everyone else, Ino started to cry silently.

Choji and Hinata, who sat on either side of her, began to rub her back, trying to soothe her.

Tenten looked down at her plate, feeling grief over their loss as well as embarrassed that she had let her hormones get in the way on such a sad day.

Then she heard Ino laugh. It was light at first, but it soon filled the room. Choji had tried to cheer her up with a funny memory. It had worked.

Slowly the silence became replaced with chatter and giggles as everyone began to recount stories about Asuma, missions, and other light memories.

She felt her guilt ebb when she laughed at a story involving Asuma and Guy.

Perhaps what she and Neji had done before the funeral hadn't been so bad. They had just been trying to forget their misery, just like everyone else.

She hoped that everyone would stay this happy. She looked under the table where Neji sat cross legged next to her. Her panties were poking out of his pocket.

She silently struggled with her emotions again. She knew that even when he decided to give them back to her later, she wouldn't want them.

Lunch passed by much faster and they were soon parting ways. Tenten walked back to the compound with Neji and Hinata.

When the street emptied, Tenten caught Neji's hand with her's while Hinata pretended not to see.

When they reached the compound Hinata quickly said goodbye before slipping away to find her sister. Tenten looked up at Neji, across from her, and chewed her lower lip before wetting them with her tongue.

She watched his eyes dart to her lips. She took the opportunity to step in closer to him before whispering in his ear.

"So, how much longer do you plan on leaving me without my panties?"

**~o0o~**

Being silent had always come easy to Tenten. As a ninja, her life often depended on her ability to sneak up on enemies with absolute silence.

Right now she was failing miserably.

Tenten wasn't sure what force convinced her to make terrible decisions, but she did know that she wasn't the only one who had fallen under it's spell.

Every hushed movement they made tore through her ears. She tried to keep her lips in a tight line but every time Neji moved, she gasped.

He tried to silence her with kisses, but then there was the sound of kissing and the gasps moved from escaping from her mouth to her nose.

And then there was the sound of their hips meeting.

And the bed. The bed would driver her insane. The mattress beneath her squeaked just enough to put her on edge.

She swallowed a moan and jerked out of their kiss, tilting her head back and whimpering slightly. Neji's kissed her neck while she squirmed under him.

She clung to him desperately, trying to keep silent. She let a moan slide out, no more than a whisper, but it still sat loudly in her ears.

Neji traced kisses up to her ear and whispered. "Shhh," he hushed her gently and pulled her face into his neck so she could let out a muffled moan.

She nipped at his shoulder to keep from moaning again.

Despite his attempts to keep her quiet, Neji was making almost as much noise as Tenten.

He had increased his pace, both knowing that the sooner they finished, the less likely the chances of them getting caught were.

Tenten had never thought in a million years that she would find herself in Neji's bed. She both loved and hated it.

She loved sharing his space. Her apartment was boring and routine. She felt special in his room, knowing that he had not let many people in here before, and knowing that there wasn't a woman out there who now knew his bedroom the way that she did.

But the thought of being surrounded by his clan made her anxious. The Hyūga clan was ancient and set in their ways. Although it was never discussed, incest was very common. They preferred to keep the clan as pure as possible, especially the main branch.

Someone with Neji's skills as a shinobi would be very lucky to escape the ties of their family.

And then there was the Byakugan.

Clearly she hadn't been thinking when she had decided to have sex somewhere that almost everyone could see her with just the flick of an eye.

Lust always won the battle against rational thought.

She sighed again against his neck, trying to push the worry away and focus on the task at hand as Neji dove into her.

Tenten rotated her hips in small circles as their pelvises collided. She heard him grunt and smiled. She wanted to tease him, hush him like he had hushed her but instead of a hush, a small moan squeaked out of her throat. He wouldn't pause to let her tease him, and she didn't mind much.

She pulled away from the crook in his neck. She met his eyes, half-hooded and heavy with lust. She smiled up at him. They kissed. He pulled another gasp out of her and the door opened.

Everything after that was a blur.

She was sitting up in bed with a sheet wrapped loosely around her body. Neji was at the foot of the bed, clinging to his forehead, crying out in anguish.

One of the elders was in the room with them, activating the curse seal. Tenten was frozen in shock. When she finally found her voice she all but screamed at him.

"Stop!" Her stomach churned as Neji thrashed and screamed. Her vision blurred and her eyes stung. "Please," she begged, "stop!"

And he did. Neji's cries of pain transformed into heavy pants, as he tried to recover. Before Tenten could move, she felt a hand squeeze her upper arm and roughly pull her from the bed.

She didn't know what to do. Normally she would stand her ground, but the shock of seeing Neji hurt so easily kept her silent. She allowed the elder Hyūga to pull her out of the room and through the compound, tripping over her own feet, clinging to her dignity in the form of the sheet around her nakedness.

The walk through the compound seemed to last forever. She was at least spared the humiliation of prying eyes, as they encountered no one on their walk. They eventually halted in front of another door.

"I'm entering," he announced. Tenten bit her tongue, knowing it would be unwise to suggest that perhaps she could have been shown the same courtesy.

He slid the door open and dragged her into the room. Tenten saw Neji's uncle, Hiashi, jump up from his desk, shocked as the door slid shut behind her.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Tenten was pushed forward, the elder letting go of her arm. She stumbled forward and let herself fall to her knees in a deep bow. She felt less exposed, her body curled up as tight as possible and her loose hair falling around her face.

"I found her in your nephew's bed," Tenten's stomach churned with anxiety and embarrassment. "Such disrespect cannot be tolerated," the elder continued, "she has seduced him and as a result, Neji has forgotten his duty to the main branch. Imagine the scandal on our hands if she conceived his bastard!"

_Fuck you._

She knew that the best thing she could do right now was stay silent, but that didn't prevent her from thinking up as many colorful responses as she could.

Tenten had never been treated this way before. The two men were discussing the events as if she wasn't in the room. They ignored her presence. In their eyes she was no more than a tramp who had tainted the Hyūga prodigy.

The way the elder spoke of her hurt, but not nearly as much as the way they spoke about Neji. She knew Neji's history. She knew how he had felt about the main branch when they were younger. She now knew why he had carried such anger towards his family. Despite his feelings for his cousin's changing, it was clear that the elders still viewed him as no more than a prized possession, to be used to make the main branch stronger.

She focused on her breathing as she tried to ignore Neji's name tossed around with Hinabi's and a general tone of disappointment and masked anger.

Tenten chewed on her lip, trying to keep her thoughts to herself when she finally felt eyes on her back.

"Stand up," Hiashi's order was flat and emotionless. Tentens gingerly pushed herself up to her feet, but kept her eyes low in respect. "You have caused us quite a bit of trouble," he started, "do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Tenten debated on what to say, if anything at all. She wanted to scream at Hiashi and defend Neji and herself but she wasn't sure what would happen to them.

_Could things get any worse? Probably._

She mused for a second longer. Her tongue slid out to moisten her lips as she prepared to talk.

The door slammed open and everyone's heads snapped over to the sound, searching for the source.

Neji was leaning against the doorframe, panting. He had pulled on his pants, but was still shirtless and his hair was disheveled.

Tenten frowned, he looked uncomfortable, like he had a migraine. His eyes were squinted in the bright light of the office.

The elder spoke first, "Neji! What could you possibly have to say for yourself?"

He gathered as much composure as he could and met the two men with a glare.

"I should ask the same of you!" He snapped.

"Neji!" Hiashi's tone was a mix of shock and warning. Neji ignored his uncle and kept his attention focused on the older man.

"You could have at least let her get dressed!"

"You are out of line!" Shouted the elder.

"No!" Neji snapped back at him.

"Neji!" Hiashi interrupted again, his voice more stern. Tenten noted that while his voice was stern, his body language gave off a different feeling, one she could not place. He almost looked conflicted, despite his words. "You have acted selfishly and disrespected your elders. We had believed you to be a suitable match for Hinabi. She will be head of this clan someday. Today, however, you have chosen to disrespect her and your clan for someone with no discernible family name or traits. This girl could never be suitable for someone with your abilities."

Tenten's heart sank. She looked at Neji, knowing that his feelings matched hers.

"You are not to bring her back here again, unless it is directly related to a mission. Understood?" Neji didn't react.

Hiashi sighed as he brought two fingers up in front of his face. Tenten's eyes widened and she screamed.

"NO!"

Neji's forehead glowed and he collapsed to the ground. A strangled cry tore through his gritted teeth. She ran to his side and fell back onto her knees in front of him. She grabbed him as he thrashed in pain and tried to offer comfort as he cried out. Nejii buried his face into her lap and clung to her hips, his cries becoming muffled.

Tenten looked over at Hiashi, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Stop!" She begged, gasping for air as sobs threatened to escape. "Please!"

Her throat was raw. She was overwhelmed. Neji's cries of pain hurt her more than she could explain. She continued to plead with Hiashi, as Neji clung to her. She felt the sheets dampen with his tears.

Hiashi held the seal for several more agonizing seconds. He eventually let go and Neji's screams stopped. She felt him shake against her briefly before his breathing evened and his body slumped. He had passed out.

Tenten continued to cry silently. She was shaking as well. She had abandoned clinging to the blanket to comfort Neji. The sheet was dangerously loose around her she brought her hand back to her breasts, to hold the sheet up. She used her free hand to stroke Neji's hair as she choked on her breath, gasping as she held back a sob.

She felt Hiashi move towards them and she folded herself over Neji, shielding him from his Uncle. He knelt down and pressed his hand against her shoulder. She recoiled at his touch.

"We're done here," he stated. He tried to pull her back up, but she clung tighter to Neji's body.

"Let go," ordered the elder. She felt the last of her strength leave her and let Hiashi pull her up. He slipped his arms around Neji's waist and pulled him over his shoulder as he stood up.

Tenten shivered, feeling Neji's warmth leave her. Haishi held out a hand and she accepted it, letting him pull her up to her feet.

She felt numb, not sure what to do next, hoping that the worst was over. Hiashi began to walk towards the door. Tenten followed him, her feet moving automatically. The elder followed her out into the compound.

The walk back to Neji's room was even longer than the walk to Hiashi's office. Tenten kept her eyes downcast, focusing on the lines in the floorboards, not being able to look up at Neji's unconscious form. Eventually they arrived back at Neji's room and they all entered. Hiashi crossed the room and laid Neji down on the bed. The elder stayed at the door, closing it behind him. The room was dark and Tenten stood halfway between the men, unsure of what to do now.

She heard Hiashi speak. "Dress yourself and leave."

Tenten didn't move.

"Now."

She realized that the most privacy she would be allowed was to have his back to her. She turned and looked at the elder. He too had turned his back to her.

Her vision blurred with fresh tears as she slipped around the room, collecting her clothes.

She dressed under the sheet as best she could.

She took her time, hoping her slow pace would be annoying. It also gave her time to think. As she buttoned up her shirt she knew what she would do next.

Tenten walked up to Hiashi's side and draped her sheet over Neji. She then placed a kiss on his forehead, in the center of his curse mark and turned to leave.

The elder had turned around to witness this as well as Hiashi. Tenten took a few steps before she felt a tight hand on her shoulder. She was spun back around by Hiashi. Her eyes met his and a sinking feeling tore through her core.

His Byakugan was activated.

Silence hung in the air as he looked her over. Tenten suddenly felt naked again.

Then she was on the ground. Tenten hunched over herself, gasping. A dull ache radiated through her abdomen. He had used the Gentle Fist to force his chakra through her body. She felt the familiar sensations that she knew from sparring with Neji, only Hiashi had used enough chakra to hurt her, where as Neji would use only enough to disarm her.

Tenten clung to her stomach, confused. Hadn't she been through enough? Why did he feel the need to cause her any more pain?

"Leave," he ordered.

The elder slid the door open for her.

Tenten winced as she pushed herself to her feet, one arm cradling her stomach.

She collected a couple more of her things before leaving silently.

**~o0o~**

When Tenten arrived home she had gone straight to her room and curled into her bed, hugging a nearby heating pad to her injury.

She clicked on the TV and hoped the white noise would help distract her from her predicament.

She laid like this for a few hours, drifting in and out of sleep, trying her best not to worry about Neji. She couldn't be by his side and knew he would recover so she used sleep and television to keep him out of her thoughts.

It hadn't been working very well, especially as her stomach still throbbed. She knew it would be a while before all of her closed tenketsu points would open back up. The ache had changed over the course of evening, feeling more to her like cramps. She was grateful that her heating pad was already out, not having to spend any more energy searching for it. Her stomach cramped again, the heat didn't feel as strong as it originally had, her body used to the warmth. Eventually she sighed and decided a cup of tea might help her relax.

She sat up and stretched before climbing out of bed and heading towards the kitchen.

About halfway to her destination she felt a heavy rush of moisture between her legs. She stopped dead in her tracks, realizing that the tea would have to wait.

She hurried, instead, to the bathroom. Pulling down her pants she sat on the toilet and hunched over as cramps surged through her. She took a deep breath and looked down.

Her underwear was stained bright red with blood. She felt dizzy.

Tenten had never experienced a period like this in her life. She didn't know what to do. She sat on the toilet stunned, knowing that a shower would be a good start, but she was afraid to get up.

She pressed some toilet paper between her legs, finding more blood. She tried another piece. There blood on the paper was just as bright and angry. No matter how much she tried to clean herself up, the blood continued to flow heavily out of her.

After a few minutes, confusion began to manifest into realization.

There was no way it could have been a coincidence that should happen the same day as the injury Hiashi had given her. She knew that the Gentle Fist style targeted internal organs. He had targeted her uterus, that much was now sure.

Tenten's jaw suddenly dropped, as she realized what his Byakugan must have seen earlier.

A second chakra signal… But that could only have been from… A baby.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Ehhh slowly trying to move the plot along. Hopefully move away from sex to story, but I know that new relationships are pretty much all hormones so I'm trying to be kind of realistic. Idk. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

_You're alright  
><em>_You come to me in times  
><em>_You make me realize  
><em>_I'm no the kindest guy_

_But I give give give give  
><em>_I give what I can give_

_- Black Grease  
>The Black Angels<em>

* * *

><p><em>Seven weeks.<em>

Tenten did the math again and again. That had been the last time she'd had her period. If she had been pregnant, then she would have been roughly seven weeks along. However, she had never really gotten into the habit of tracking her cycle and while she believed she was usually regular, she couldn't be sure.

And because she wasn't sure, Tenten didn't know how to feel.

And so the next few days left Tenten feeling aloof.

She didn't know if she should grieve her loss… if there had even been a loss to grieve in the first place. After all, she still wasn't even sure if she had been pregnant to begin with. She thought they had been careful enough, but there had been a few times - Tenten blushed at the memories - where they had not been as careful as they could have been… or even careful at all.

She had probably been pregnant… But then again… the shock from Hiashi's attack could have been enough to jump start her period. The bleeding could have been from the injury alone… Hiashi's attack could have just been a preventative measure. After all, wouldn't Neji have noticed a second chakra signal during training?

But they had both been quite distracted lately…

Tenten was dizzy with the circles her brain was walking trying to make sense of what had happened to her. In the end, she always came up empty handed.

Except she had this feeling in the pit of her stomach… Her intuition told her that she had been pregnant.

Still, she didn't weep over her supposed loss, she just felt… off… sad and distant.

She hadn't heard from Neji, although she assumed he was recovering and after being banned from the compound, she had to trust that he would come to her.

It didn't take long for Lee to realize something was up and only a day and a half after the incident he came to visit.

She sighed when she heard the much expected knock at her door. She smoothed back her bangs and slid on a smile before opening the door.

"Tenten!" Lee's enthusiasm cheered her up a little and she was glad he had come to check in on her.

"Hi Lee."

"I have missed you so during our training! Has something been troubling you, flower of our youth?" Tenten tried hard not to roll her eyes at the nickname.

"No, Lee, I'm alright. I just haven't been feeling good. I should be okay in a day or two."

"Oh no! What's wrong?! Do you have a cold?" He pressed his hand to her forehead and she backed away in shock.

"No Lee, I'm fine, really. It's just, you know…" Originally she had intended to use her period as an excuse, as it wasn't a lie, but she didn't fully take Lee into account. She would have to spell it out for him and that made her cringe. She sighed. "Come on, Lee, you know, sometimes I don't feel good."

Lee furrowed his brow in confusion as if trying to remember the last time she had felt ill.

"I am not sure what you mean, Tenten."

She ran her hand down her face in frustration.

"My period, Lee," she muttered between fingers.

"Oh!" His cheeks tinted pink at her bluntness.

An awkward silence filled the air.

"Yeah," she looked up at Lee and tried to smile past the tension. "I'll be okay. I just need another day to rest."

"If you feel that way! But I believe that training would make you feel better!" He truly didn't understand women at all.

"Thank you for your concern, Lee, but if anything I think a hot bath and a nap would do just as well."

"Alright, Tenten. But I must ask you, before I leave you to rest," here was the other question she knew was coming, "Have you seen Neji? I haven't seen him in a couple days."

"No," she admitted. It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth. "I told him I wasn't feeling well," she lied, "he has probably been training with Hinata."

"Yes! That makes perfect sense! I shall go check to see if he is busy training! I wish to challenge him to 100 laps around Konoha!"

Tenten chewed at her lip. She wasn't sure if she should try and stop Lee from going to the compound. She knew that if Lee found out the truth he would be very upset and try and meddle in the affairs of the clan, which Tenten knew firsthand to be a bad idea.

But she suspected the best course of action was to let Lee make his own decision. The clan would welcome him better if he was left in the dark.

"Okay, Lee, just don't bother him too much if he's training with Hinata. She really wants to prove to the clan that she can be the head. They want Hinabi to take over the clan," she admitted, "so Neji needs to work extra had with Hinata to prove the elders wrong."

"Understood!" Lee saluted her and tossed out a thumbs up for good measure. He turned to leave but paused. "Tenten,"

"Yes Lee?"

"I haven't seen either of you in two days," he frowned, "are you sure everything is alright? You two didn't get into a fight, did you?"

"No Lee, we didn't. Thank you for your concern though."

"Of course! We are teammates after all! Feel better Tenten!" And with that he left.

Tenten closed the door and sighed. That had gone smoother than she expected. She made her way into the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea.

**~o0o~**

Two days later Neji showed up.

Tenten had been doing dishes when she heard the door open. She dropped the plate she'd been washing and turned off the water before drying her hands. She crossed the threshold into the living room to see him slipping off his shoes before standing back up to meet her gaze.

His stare sent the butterflies in her stomach aflutter.

"Neji."

His name came out a whisper and before she knew it he was across the room. He held her hip with one hand and the back of her neck with the other as he pressed her back into the wall and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

She clung to his shirt, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. She had missed him greatly, more than she had realized.

Their kiss quickly became heated as Neji tried to quench whatever thirst was ailing him. Tenten noted the need in his kiss as he swirled their tongues and bruised her lips. She hadn't thought it was possible, but it seemed that he had pushed her further into the wall.

She felt her desire swell when he bit her lower lip, sucking on it gently. They finally broke the kiss, panting.

She met his eyes and noted the emotions that swam through them. Of all the emotions she watched play across his eyes the most prominent were anger and lust. She watched them swirl together before he attacked her neck with kisses and bites.

Tenten let out a gasp and Neji immediately let his hands begin to roam over her body, eagerly tugging at her clothes.

He pulled her shirt off and made quick work of her bra, discarding the clothing on the floor next to them.

As soon as her breasts were free, his hands were on them. He squeezed and massaged them, rolling her nipples between his fingers.

Tenten moaned at his touch. Neji trailed kisses up her jaw and captured her lips again, swallowing her moans.

She plucked at the button on his shirt, hoping to discard his clothes next. When she'd opened it, her hands found the smooth skin of his chest and he released her breasts just long enough to allow her to push his shirt off.

Once it hit the ground, Tenten was lost in a whirlwind. Somehow they'd found her bedroom and he had pushed her back to the mattress before tugging off her pants.

And then they were both naked and he was on top of her. He caught her breast in his mouth and swirled his tongue over her nipple sending a moan out of her. He quickly entered her and she cried out again.

He released her breast and began moving quickly, roughly thrusting into her. Tenten cried out again, as their moans mingled together.

She hadn't realized how wild and primal sex with Neji could be. She moaned his name repeatedly, hoping that - despite how amazing the sex felt - that his anger would subside.

She began to worry that he would still be angry after and decided to try and help him relax more.

She shifted her hips to deny him access to her any more. He gave her a quizzical look before she pushed him off of her. He moved with her, letting her guide him onto his back. She sat next to him and smirked, before climbing on top of him.

She felt a bit awkward as she pressed her hands on his chest to steady herself. He grabbed her hips tightly and allowed her to take control.

Eventually she lowered herself onto him and picked up where they left off, although she kept a slower pace. She watched him lean his head back and moan.

Tenten would have never expected Neji to let her take control and she decided she liked it. With every inch she moved he moaned, holding her hips tighter.

Feeling confident, she leaned over his ear and whispered heavily, "Does that feel good?"

He cursed in response and she smirked.

She picked up the pace and moaned with him until he came inside of her. They panted heavily and she leaned over him and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before rolling off of him to and leaving the bed to clean herself up.

In the bathroom she pulled on some clean clothes and debated with herself.

Should she tell Neji what had happened? Was it a good time? Did he already know what had happened to her? Had the main branch dangled the information over his head as an additional punishment?

Was it even worth mentioning at all? After all, she wasn't even certain that she had been pregnant.

_Women miscarry all the time. _She lamented, frowning. _Half the time it was too early for them to even know they were pregnant._

She looked to the bathroom door, still torn. Was it worth bringing up? And was it worth bringing up _now?_

Tenten returned to her bedroom to find a tired looking Neji laying in her bed, dressed waist down.

She crossed the room and pressed a kiss to his forehead, déjà vu attacking her senses. She pulled away and met his gaze. "I'll make us some tea," she decided.

**~o0o~**

Neji was stuck.

And it frustrated him to no end. After nursing a migraine for three days - while being lectured about his life choices - the clan had finally left him alone.

He was angry at his family for the way they had marched Tenten through the compound in nothing but a sheet. He was angry at his grandfather for letting himself into Neji's bedroom. He was angry at his uncle for treating him first, like a son, and then like a criminal.

But mostly he was angry at himself.

If he could withstand the pain, he would confront his uncle again.

But he couldn't.

Which meant he couldn't stick up for Tenten.

And that simple fact drove him crazy.

Instead, he decided to pointedly ignore the warnings from the main branch. As soon as they had decided to leave him alone, he'd fled to her apartment and proceeded to her so well that all of Konoha could hear her cries.

He loved pulling his name from her lips. He wanted everyone to hear the way she called to him, for everyone to know how he made her feel, that only he could make her feel that way. That she was his, and his alone.

He hadn't expected her to take control, but he relished the feeling. Instead of pouring all of the hurt and anger his family had caused them into their encounter, he allowed her to soothe and please him as he laid back and enjoyed the way she moved over him.

His anger subsided and the love he felt for her began to take over. But it didn't last long.

He frowned when she came back into the room, cup of tea in hand and conflict in her eyes.

Is emotions swelled once again as he watched the words awkwardly tumble from her kiss-swollen lips.

His uncle had hurt her.

Like Tenten, Neji had no way of knowing if she had been with child (he wished now that he had paid more attention to her chakra signal) but he did know that he was furious about what she had been put through.

And she'd had to suffer through it alone.

He took the tea from her and set it on the night stand before pulling her into his lap. She curled up, pulling her knees to her chest and nuzzling her head into his neck, squirming as she tried to accommodate her buns.

His hands made quick work at soothing her as he stroked her hair and rubbed her arm.

If she had been pregnant, Hiashi had taken away their ability to decide. Neji had always expected to have a say in the future of any child he might conceive.

But the main branch had taken that from him too.

The main branch had a say in everything.

As the weight of this realization fell heavy on him, Neji noticed that Tenten was trembling. He realized she was holding back tears.

He pulled her in tight and moved his fingers to her back, rubbing circles up and down her spine.

He heard a sob burst from her as her trembling turned to shaking and he held her as she cried out the stress of the past few days, feeling anger sit like a heavy lump in his chest.

Neji wasn't sure what he would do next, but he knew that he wasn't about to let the main branch keep him from Tenten.

**~o0o~**

The weeks that followed the incident showed a significant shift in both of their personalities. While on the outside, they appeared the same as always, behind closed doors they became too different people.

Tenten had become more anxious. On missions she paid more attention to the wellbeing of her team and had even given a second shot at learning some medical ninjitsu. While she still was not skilled enough to become a medic, she had begun to pick up basic first aid. Her goal was to be able to stabilize someone until they could get to the hospital.

She could no longer sleep soundly when Neji shared her bed. Even though he had no concern over lying about his mission lengths by a day or two to stay by her side, she was worried that Hiashi would somehow end up outside of her door, fingers primed to activate Neji's curse mark.

Her stomach now did flips when she saw his curse mark, remembering the pain she had witnessed.

Neji on the other hand had become the opposite. He would come visit her bed more often, kissing away her anxieties, and often end their training sessions early to roll around in the field, sometimes risking getting caught just for a chance to be closer to her.

It seemed, to Tenten, that his reckless behavior was his form of retaliation against his family.

Tenten was grateful that their mission load had picked up, especially since Lee and Guy knew about their relationship. She felt safe with her teammates around her and knew that she could trust the two green clad ninja to help keep them safe.

Her team was her family, and as difficult as they were to put up with sometimes, she loved them all.

Slowly she tried her best to allow her life to return to normal. She confided only to Hinata, who had learned from Neji and Hiashi what had happened to her.

She took comfort in talking to her friend and allowed the rest of her friends to cheer her up just by being themselves.

Neji had confided that he was worried the conflict with her family would push her away from him. She lacked the language skills to express how far from the truth his fears were.

Despite the pain they had been through, Tenten had decided she couldn't be more in love.

They would lay in bed at night and whisper their love to each other, offering it out as if it was a prayer to the moon and stars.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Kind of on the shorter side, sorry about that. Anyway, review? Thanks. :D


	7. Chapter 7

_There isn't much that I feel I'd need  
>A solid soul and the blood I bleed<br>But with a little girl, and by my spouse  
>I only want a proper house<em>

_- My Girls  
>Animal Collective<em>

* * *

><p>Tenten watched the flames dance in front of her. She was bored. Team Guy was on their way home from a mission and it was Tenten's watch.<p>

She scanned the surroundings, detecting no danger and then checked her teammates. All three guys were snoozing peacefully and Tenten smiled, seeing all of their serene faces flicker in the light of the campfire.

But she was restless. She needed something to occupy her time. Catching another glimpse at Neji, Tenten grabbed her backpack and began digging through until she procured a small box.

Pulling off the lid, she removed a quartz crystal from atop a large deck of cards. The stone seemed to hum in her hand, as she ran her fingers over it, pressing against the rough edges. She liked to think the pretty crystal kept the cards safe and kept her grounded her during her readings.

Gingerly, she placed the stone down on the ground and pulled the deck out of the box. She hadn't used her cards in a while. She'd been... distracted... Her eyes flashed to her lover again before returning to her cards.

But now seemed like a good time to give herself a reading.

So, Tenten began shuffling the cards until she was content, all the while concentrating on her present situation and wondering what the coming days would bring her.

Once she was done shuffling, she fanned them out on the ground in front of her. She studied the details on the white and blue background and ran her fingers over the cards.

She felt the pull almost instantly. An ache, or itch, it was hard to describe, rose from the rightmost top card.

She selected it and ran her fingers over the rest of the deck until she pinpointed the ache four more times.

Carefully, she set her 5 cards aside and pushed the deck back together. She let her intuition tell her where to cut the deck and she pulled the top third of the deck off and put it at the bottom.

Picking up her five cards, Tenten began her reading.

She flipped over the first card and her brows furrowed instantly.

A skeleton in black armor mounted on a white horse stared up at her, his bony fingers holding a black flag. A priest greeted him standing by two children on their knees. Under the horse, a king lay motionless, his crown scattered next to him. The only positivity in this card was a fortress in the distance in front of a rising sun.

At the bottom of the card Tenten read the word "Death."

That was not a card she ever pulled for herself. She chewed at her lower lip and reached for her quartz.

Death represented her present situation, but she didn't understand why. Contrary to popular belief, the death card did not actually foretell of someone's dying, it represented a sudden change. Something in her life was about to end abruptly, but what, she didn't know.

She studied the card for another minute, noting the way the black flag seemed to taunt her, being the main focus of the art, announcing change loudly. The sun suggested a fresh start on the horizon, reminding her that with every end comes a new beginning.

The next card, she lay to the left of the death card, indicating her recent past. A naked man and woman stood across from each other, a mountain rising between them. An angel rose from clouds, surrounded by sunlight. Tenten smiled as she read the words "The Lovers."

She did not need to read into this card to know that it was about the growth in her relationship with Neji. The lovers stood naked, indicating their level of venerability, trust, and comfort with each other. The mountain represented all they had accomplished, and the sun showered them in light that allowed them to grow, like plants, into their relationship. The card also represented lust - which Tenten knew to be highly abundant in her life - and fertility, which had also reared its head.

Tenten, next, looked to the future. She placed the "Two of Cups" next to Death and felt her heart flutter. Two lovers looked at each other longingly, each holding a goblet. The man was reaching out to the woman, tenderly. This card represented a deeper love and union that often came when the lust of new relationships began to wane. Some people would say that this card would indicate an engagement in the future, but Tenten often wondered if that was too specific and she couldn't help but blush at the absurdity of dreaming of becoming... _engaged. _

She peaked over at Neji again before scolding herself for being ridiculous. They were too young, their relationship too new. Still, the card made her smile and fantasize in ways she hadn't since she was a child.

Turning to the past again, she placed the Ace of Cups to the left of the Lovers. A hand held a chalice overflowing with water. A dove perched atop it. She thought back to the crisp fall day she had first kissed Neji, and knew that the Ace of Cups would always represent that day.

Finally, Tenten looked to her distant future and placed the Five of Cups next to the Two of Cups. She frowned.

Tenten had tricked herself into believing that the Death card may not have been so bad, when being followed by the Two of Cups, but the Five of Cups begged to differ. A man stood in a black cloak, his back turned to her. His head was turned down, in sadness. The card screamed loss at her. Her chest ached. Something drastic was going to happen in her life and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Anxiety welled in her and her hand flew to the deck, eager for more insight on what would happen to her.

She almost cried when she placed the Nine of Swords on top of the Five of Cups. Darkness surrounded a man, sitting up in bed, hiding his face in his hands. It was a card of emotional anguish. The man hiding his face was clearly terrified of something, perhaps the suffocating darkness that surrounded him, and was unwilling to uncover his eyes to face his fears. Whatever loss she might face was going to consumer her...

How had she gone from the Two of Cups to _this?!_

Her eyes flew back to the Death card and she quickly drew and placed the Two of Pentacles to place atop it.

A man stood on one foot, juggling two pentacles, looking unsure. Behind him the waves swelled, showing emotional unrest. Tenten was about to be faced with a decision, following her sudden change.

And it looked like she was going to have trouble finding the right answer. One thing was sure, she would be seeking balance in her decision.

She ended her reading there, with more questions than answers. Sure, she could pull more cards, but she didn't think it would give her anymore insight. And, truth be told, she didn't really want anymore insight. She stared down at the cards, feeling confused and almost betrayed.

Never had she given herself such a mixed reading. She barely ever even had negative readings.

She rubbed the quartz in her left hand, feeling it hum to her, and decided to pack up her cards, suddenly feeling exhausted.

The excitement and stress of the reading had drained her emotionally, and the strength with which the cards had called to her had depleted her energy. She felt a dull ache start to swell in her head.

She put the cards back into the box and placed the quartz stone on top of them and closed it up, returning it to her backpack.

She looked up to the moon's waning position and decided it was time to hand over the watch.

Quietly she crawled over to Lee and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Lee," she whispered. He groaned and his eyes slowly opened. She watched them try to focus on her face. "I know it's a little early," she started, "but can you take over the watch? I feel a migraine coming on." He nodded and sat up, quickly brushing away the sleep that had clung to him only moments ago.

"Of course, Tenten. We still have a way to go before we are back to Konoha, rest up!"

"Thanks Lee." They exchanged smiles before she crawled back towards Neji. Pulling her blankets around her she pressed her head into his pillow, their bodies facing opposite directions. She loved the idea of curling up in his arms, but she did not want to wake him, nor keep the fire away from him. So she slept with her head next to his instead.

He shifted in his sleep as she got comfortable, moving his head to allow her to nuzzle her face into his neck. She breathed in the scents of pine from the forrest mingled with sweat and incense.

She willed her headache away and let sleep overtake her.

**~o0o~**

The next day, Tenten saw Death rear its ugly head.

They were almost home, and after a long mission Guy had allowed them to keep a more leisurely pace heading home. They had plans to stop at an inn just outside of the village, but as they approached the inn, they noticed smoke rising in the distance.

Reluctantly, Tenten followed her teammates home, head heavy with worry and muscles aching from travel.

They ran for miles without rest, searching for the source of the smoke. Every mile Tenten expected to see the Konoha gates begin to slide into view, but every mile she found only more forrest.

After what felt like an eternity they finally approached the gates... or rather... where the gates should have been. Instead, they found a wasteland. Tenten's heart sank.

Konoha was _gone_.

The first thing she noted was bodies, more than she cared to count. Her heart raced as the four of them searched the wasteland of what was once their home.

In the distance she spotted purple contrasting against the sand and paled. Neji had seen it first, however, and was already advancing towards his cousin.

He called out to her, but she was unconscious. Tenten dropped her bag and ran to her friend's side. Even though she was no medic, she knew the basics of first aid and quickly pressed her fingers to Hinata's neck.

It was faint, but it was there and she relaxed at the shallow rhythm of the heiresses pulse.

Tenten next held her fingers to her nose, feeling Hinata's breath wash over them with every exhale.

"She's okay," Tenten announced, with relief. "But she needs medical attention right away. Lee, go find someone, anyone, who can heal her!"

"Hai!"

And without another word, Lee was gone.

"I will find the others and try and figure out what happened." Guy spoke next. "You two stay here with Hinata and be safe."

"Yes Guy-sensei," they said in unison.

Tenten sat down on the ground next to Hinata. Neji joined her, not letting his eyes leave his cousin.

Tenten hated herself for not having been able to have the chakra control to be a medic, but she knew that as long as she stayed by Hinata she could administer CPR, if needed.

Tenten prayed that she wouldn't need anything other than a few bandages. She reached over and opened her pack, looking for her first aid kit.

While she was rummaging, her cards caught her eye. She frowned at them, unable to help but blame them for the loss of her home. She knew it wasn't the cards that had taken away Konoha, but she needed something to help her rationalize her reality.

She then pulled out the medic kit and began to gently clean and bandage some of Hinata's wounds.

The silence between the three of them hung heavily in the air.

Tenten worked, hoping her actions would be soothing enough for Neji, while he helped her apply balms and cut bandages.

It hadn't been long before Lee came bounding back to them, a small white slug on his shoulder.

Tsunade's slug. Tenten sighed relief when she recognized the white mass.

Lee knelt down next to Tenten and gently placed the slug on Hinata's chest and she began her work, a soft green glow radiating off of her.

After a minute, the glow faded and the slug looked up at them.

"She will be okay now, she just needs to rest," whispered Katsuyu.

"Thank you," replied Tenten.

Now that Hinata would be okay, the three no longer had a distraction to hide the fact that their village was gone.

Tenten felt herself reach for her teammates. With her left hand, she laced her fingers with Neji's and she clasped Lee's hand with her right. Clinging to her teammates, Tenten wondered what would happen next.

**~o0o~**

The destruction of Konoha was as disastrous as it should have been. Team Guy had learned that Naruto had sought out Pain - the man behind the attack - and convinced him to resurrect everyone he had killed during the attack.

Slowly, they were beginning to rebuild.

Their primary goal was to rehouse the civilians and until then, the shinobi of Konoha were camping out in tents.

Every day, Tenten went through the motions of rebuilding with the rest of her friends, but her heart wasn't in it. She was distracted.

The weeks that passed left her spending less time with Neji than she desired. He was expected to camp with his clan and help keep watch over the tent of the main branch at night.

It became more difficult for them to sneak off alone.

Luckily, Neji always seemed to find a way to slip into her tent at night.

He was never able to stay the whole night, but he would make every second of their time together count.

They sought comfort from each other in the form of whispers and kisses, trying to distract each other from the reality of what their lives had become.

But as time passed, Tenten found it harder for him to distract her.

She knew that war was on the horizon. There was no way it couldn't be after what had happened.

And she remembered the way the cards taunted her in the glow of the fire. The fed her fears and anxieties more. She remembered the man juggling the two pentacles and knew that her reading was accurate.

She sat in her tent now, on her bedroll, polishing a kunai while she waited for Neji to make his appearance. All the while she was thinking of the Two of Pentacles.

Eventually moonlight slipped in when he pulled the tent flap back. Neji ducked into the tent and Tenten looked up at him with a smile.

"Hi!"

"Hey," he smiled back at her, "How are you?"

"Good," she never wanted to ruin their time together with her negative thoughts, so she held her tongue. She reached her hand out and he accepted it and sat down next to her.

Immediately she crawled onto his lap and captured his lips.

His hands found her waist and he pulled her in close. Their hands roamed, as she set a hurried pace, kissing him with everything she had.

Her hands snaked through his hair and she untied his headband, pulling it off. His hands stayed firmly on her waist, but when Tenten pressed her hips into his, she knew he wanted her.

Tenten let her lips find his neck, listening to his breath hitch, as she ran her hands over his body. When she went to unbutton his shirt, he stopped her.

"Tenten," he breathed her name, his eyes cloudy with desire.

"What?" She whispered back to him, nibbling at his jaw.

He pulled her away from him and met her eyes, holding her chin in his hand.

"Something's bothering you."

"What?" Her brows furrowed. "No," she hated lying, but she didn't want Neji to worry about her.

"Don't lie, Tenten." His scold was soft and loving, and the hand he'd left on her waist began to stroke the side of her stomach, soothing her.

"Tell me."

She sighed and pulled his hand off of her chin before nuzzling into his neck. His free hand wrapped around her, pulling her into his warmth.

"I guess I'm just worried," she started. She plucked at the button on his shirt, finding the distraction soothing.

She felt his voice vibrate off his throat when he spoke.

"What's worrying you?"

"Everything," Tenten sighed again. She then sat up and looked him in the eyes. "I'm worried about war."

He nodded, in understanding.

"It doesn't look good," he admitted.

They sat in silence for another minute before he urged her to continue.

"What else?"

She squirmed.

"I… I just want to know that I've got everything I want out of life… you know… incase…" she trailed off.

Neji understood.

"What do you want?"

She blushed, caught off guard by how quickly he'd cut to the chase.

"I… I just thought that I'd have a family someday but if there's a war… who know's if that will ever happen…" She chewed at her lip.

"It'll happen," he reassured her, pressing a kiss to her nose. "Once everything has settled down I would like to speak to my uncle."

Tenten's eyes widened in shock. He wanted to marry her?

Neji panicked at her reaction and quickly added, "If you'd like that."

Tenten nodded and smiled.

"I'd love that." She watched him relax and kissed him on the lips. "But," she added when they parted, "what if something happens to us before then?"

He kissed her again, soft and lovingly.

"Nothing will happen," he whispered against her lips.

"You can't know that."

"What would you have me do, Tenten? Now isn't exactly the right time to try and tell Hiashi-sama that I want him to recognize you."

"We wouldn't have to tell him."

Neji leaned back to meet her eyes.

"Are you suggesting a secret elopement?"

Tenten shrugged. Neji sighed.

"Is this how you always pictured being proposed to?" He was teasing her now.

She chuckled lightly.

"Begging to elope in secret? Not exactly," she admitted. "But as long as it's you, it's perfect." She kissed him again, deeper this time.

Satisfied with her answer, Neji slid his tongue into her mouth, before gently guiding her down to the bedroll.

Silently, they peeled off clothes and whispered their love to each other.

He made her squirm in pleasure as they made love silently.

How long he stayed, after, she wasn't sure. She had fallen asleep in his arms and woken up oddly well rested.

She sat up and stretched, ready to start the day with a smile.

After all, she was newly engaged.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the long wait on the update. I've been crazy busy with work. Also, my sweetie and I are trying to adopt a pug, so I've been distracted.

If you're looking for something to read in the meantime, I've also started a series of vignettes. I'm doing a 100 theme challenge. They're much more lighthearted than this story. ;)

Anyway, if you enjoyed reading my story please take a minute to review!


	8. Chapter 8

_You and I make a lovely shape  
><em>_Two circles cubed draw a number 8  
><em>_It's a perfect day to dress the kids in snowsuits  
><em>_While we bake bread through the monsoon  
><em>_Cause I'm in love with you  
><em>_And all that we've been through  
><em>_We're finally coming to  
><em>_Two by two by two_

_- 2x2x2  
><em>_Cloud Cult_

* * *

><p>Tenten stared into the empty apartment. Her new home wasn't much different than her previous, save for the lack of furniture.<p>

She wondered how long it would take her to furnish the newly constructed space. At least she had her own kitchen and private bathroom again.

They were rebuilding Konoha at an alarming rate. The most essential buildings had come first. Community buildings were the priority (for eating and bathing) and then civilian housing. Ninja had to wait the longest for their homes to be rebuilt, but no one minded much.

The Hyūga compound had already been rebuilt and furnished and Neji felt guilty leaving her to camp. Before they had been caught in his bed, she would have been a welcome guest and given a room to stay in until her apartment was ready. But she wasn't a welcome guest and she stayed in her tent.

But the upside was that Neji was free to visit her more often.

And because he had visited her more often Tenten had been waiting desperately for her own bathroom.

She crossed the empty space into the bathroom, setting down a shopping bag she had been carrying on the sink.

Her fingers trembled as she pulled a box out of the bag and opened it.

She pulled a slim stick out and sighed. What a way to christen her new bathroom.

_Now or never _was her final thought before she took the test.

She laid the pregnancy test on the counter while she washed up, feeling the seconds tick by slowly.

She turned off the sink and patted her hands dry, steeling glances at the test.

The first line seemed to take ages to show.

If it stayed at one, she had nothing more to concern herself with. If it was two lines… well… she thought back to the two of pentacles, the way the man juggled, unsteady with decision.

Hopefully this time she would at least have a say in the matter.

She watched the test, willing it to be done, when she heard a knock on the door.

She paled and panicked. She threw everything into the bag and crammed it under the sink before hurrying to the front door.

She squinted through the peep hole to see the warped faces of her teammates. She took a calming breath, smoothed down her hair and clothes, and opened the door.

"Hey guys!"

"Tenten!" Lee bounced on his toes when she opened the door. "We are ready for lunch with Guy-sensei!"

She had forgotten about lunch, having been excited to have her own space back.

"Right!" She smiled. "Where should we go?"

"Here!" Tenten raised an eyebrow at Lee's suggestion. "Guy-sensei thought it would be most youthful to have your first meal in your new apartment surrounded by your team!"

She met Neji's glance and he shrugged and flashed her a small smile.

"That's very sweet Lee, but I don't have any furniture, let alone a table to eat at."

"We can lay down a blanket," said Neji.

She gave him a look that told him she was surprised at his compliance with Lee.

"Well, okay, if you guys don't mind, come in!"

They followed her into the sparse apartment and Tenten pulled a couple blankets out of her backpack. She hadn't even been able to unpack the few things she had.

Together, they laid them out in the middle of the living room and sat down.

"Guy-sensei should be here soon with the food," Neji noted once they'd made themselves comfortable.

Tenten nodded and watched as Lee and Neji both opened their backpacks (which she hadn't even realized they'd brought) and unpack supplies for the "picnic."

Lee had brought some paper plates and wooden chopsticks and Neji had brought a thermos hot tea and four mugs.

She watched the two of them set everything up and tried to pretend her mind wasn't on the test waiting for her in the bathroom. Tenten chewed her lip. She was nervous.

A few minutes of idle conversation and sipping tea brought their sensei to her door. Lee bounced up and ran across the room, letting him in. Guy carried two large bags of takeout and sat down with them.

"What a lovely apartment for such a lovely flower!" Commented Guy as he began to unpack the food. He had got Chinese for them.

"Thank you, Guy-sensei, but I think it needs some decoration."

"We should help Tenten decorate!" Lee pointed his chopsticks into the air, with enthusiasm.

Tenten giggled. "If you wish, I could use help with some new furniture." _Help moving it, that is._ Tenten wasn't about to let Lee make decorating decisions for her.

She shifted her weight closer to Neji while he opened a container of rice and began to fill his plate. When he was done, he passed it to her.

She served herself and passed it to Lee. They passed the food around in a circle until their plates were full and ate in silence, everyone enjoying the food too much to pause to talk.

The meal distracted her just enough, but she couldn't help the twinge in her stomach every time she thought back to the bathroom. Should she excuse herself and go check? She pondered on this for a while and eventually decided it would be best to wait it out. Positive or negative, she had a feeling it would be difficult to hide her reaction from the three men in her living room.

As lunch began to wind down Neji excused himself and she felt her heart skip a beat when he stepped into the bathroom.

After a couple agonizing minutes he emerged and she met his eyes. The glance he gave her was small, but knowing.

Trying to find an excuse to get up, she gathered the empty plates and containers and stood up.

"I'll be right back."

She carried the containers awkwardly, not thinking about efficiency, she had just grabbed a bunch and staggered into the kitchen. Neji followed her, taking a few containers from her.

She dumped the plates into the trash and whirled around to meet Neji, who had also tossed his containers and was leaning casually against the counter.

His hand moved and she watched as he gracefully placed the test on the surface.

She watched his hand pull away and two pink lines stared up at her. She felt his eyes on her and shivered.

"How did you find that?" she whispered. Her voice squeaked and cracked.

"It wasn't difficult, you left it on the sink."

Impossible. She had hidden everything in the vanity, hadn't she? Apparently not everything. Thank God Neji had been the one to find it.

She felt a kiss press to the top of her head and a hand brush against her stomach before Neji left the kitchen.

He left her, to avoid arousing suspicion and she was alone with a positive pregnancy test and her thoughts.

When she heard the heavy laugh of her sensei. She then heard movement as they began to clean up. Tenten's hand closed over the test and she quickly hid it in the trash.

Not two seconds after removing her hand from the bin, Guy walked in, carrying empty containers.

"Is everything alright, my lotus?"

"Y-yes, sensei."

"Good." He tossed the containers in the trash and Tenten found that she was holding her breath until he walked away from the bin. "We have plenty of leftovers! I believe Lee and Neji are packing them up for you!"

"Wonderful. Thank you Guy-sensei."

He tossed her a thumbs up and Neji entered the kitchen, with Lee in tow. He opened the fridge and filled the empty space with food.

He closed the fridge and pressed his hand on her lower back, leading her back into the living room. Lee and Guy followed and it wasn't long until they were saying their goodbyes.

The two promised to be back tomorrow to help her get some furniture and left her and Neji alone in the empty apartment.

Even in the empty room, Tenten felt suffocated by the stress and anxiety that plagued her.

Neji led her to the blankets and pulled her down so that they sat across from each other.

"So," he started.

"So," she repeated. She met his eyes briefly and blushed. "What…" Tenten struggled to find the words and sighed before struggling through her question. "What do you think?"

"What do you think?"

Tenten frowned. "That's not fair, I asked you first."

"I think," he paused, finding the right words. "I think you would make a good mother," he decided.

Her eyes snapped to his, searching for anything other than the genuine way he watched her.

"Really?"

"Really."

She felt her nerves soften and she leaned in towards him.

"And I think you would make an excellent father," she smiled.

He looked uncomfortable as the idea of being a dad set in and she giggled.

"Boy or girl?" she asked. Neji furrowed his brow in confusion.

"I suppose I've never really thought about it before." Tenten had expected him to hope for a son, so his answer surprised her. She smirked at him.

"Sounds to me like someone wants a little girl," she teased. She watched his blush form and giggled.

"Is that what you think?"

"Yup!"

"I wouldn't be opposed to a daughter."

She supposed that would be the closest to a confession that she'd be able to muster out of him.

"Well, maybe in a little while we can do a test to see if it's a boy or girl."

"How would you do that?"

"You tie your wedding ring on a string and dangle it over your stomach. If it swings back and fourth, it's a boy. If it moves in a circle, it's a girl."

"You can't tell the sex of a child with a ring and some string." Neji balked at the ridiculousness of her suggestion.

"Maybe, maybe not." She leaned back. "But it'll be fun to try and see if it's right." She looked up at him. "But first I need a ring."

"I know," he admitted.

"When?" she whispered.

"I can speak with Tsunade-sama tomorrow."

"Do you think it's wise? Do you think she'll marry us? Would she tell your uncle?"

"I don't know, Tenten. That is why I'd like to talk to her."

"Ok," she plucked nervously at the sleeve of his shirt.

"It will be fine," he reassured.

He caught her chin with his fingers and kissed her softly.

**~o0o~**

Despite her pleading, Neji had stayed the night. The last thing she wanted was for the main branch to come looking for him, especially with their new predicament.

Although, she suspected that Neji's protective demeanor over her would at least double.

At least the chances of a pregnancy being discovered were lessened with the fact that she wasn't welcome at the compound.

In the morning, Neji slung his backpack over his shoulder and took Tenten downtown for breakfast before going to visit the Hokage.

When they arrived, Tsunade admitted both of them into her office. Neji strode confidently to her desk, while Tenten followed behind, swimming with anxiety.

"Neji. Tenten. What brings you here?" Tenten noted the stacks of books and papers scattered across the table. No doubt Tsunade was busy with diplomatic efforts, overseeing the reconstruction of Konoha, and tracking down Akasuski. There was no way she'd have time to fulfill their petty request.

"Tsunade-sama," Neji greeted her with a bow and Tenten followed his motions. "You seem to be very busy these days," he noted, surveying the clutter on her desk.

Tsunade let out an exasperated sigh.

"Yes," she admitted. It was then that Neji slid his bag off of his shoulder and, much to everyone's shock, pulled a bottle of sake out and placed it on her desk. "Where did you get this?" she asked, eyeing the bottle with both suspicion and desire.

"That's not important," he admitted, "what is important is a favor we have to ask."

Tsunade opened the bottle and poured herself a glass that had seemed to appear out of thin air.

"What can I do for you two?" She took a generous sip and promptly coughed, choking, when Neji stated his answer.

"Marry us."

Tenten blushed. Tsunade coughed. Neji did not let his nerves show.

A few more coughs filled the air before Tsunade steadied herself. She looked over to them and sighed.

Tenten chewed at her lip. Tsunade had lived through war before, she should have been expecting a wave of elopements in her office. Still, theirs was surprising.

"Have you spoken with your uncle about this?"

"No," Neji admitted. "He has been very busy and preoccupied as of late. We intend to discuss the matter further with him once international tensions wind down." He held back the part about Tenten not being allowed on the compound.

Tsunade pondered this over another cup of sake. She drained two glasses before speaking again.

"So, it would be appropriate to conclude that you would be defying the Hyūga Clan by eloping with Tenten?"

Neji debated how to respond when she continued.

"And you would like me to use my powers as Hokage to go behind the back of your uncle's wishes, knowing full well that I will also have to deal with the consequences of one of the largest, most noble clans in my village being upset with me?"

She drained another cup of sake and looked at them each, meeting their eyes.

Finally Neji spoke.

"Yes."

Tsunade sighed.

"What, may I ask, has caused you two to want to rush into something like this?"

"It doesn't take a genius to realize that war is looming," said Neji. It was enough for Tsunade, who frowned.

"I suppose you two won't be the first couple to come and ask me this favor."

"Please, Tsunade-sama," Tenten bowed to the fifth as she made her voice heard. "We have discussed our intentions at length and decided to come to you. If you cannot do this for us, I understand, but we will seek out other resources."

Tsunade had worked through almost half of the bottle at this point and looked up at Tenten with a sadness in her eyes. Tenten wondered if they had brought her memories of a past lover.

"Shizune!" The woman came rushing in, bowing to Tsunade before asking what she needed.

"I need you to be a witness."

"Witness?"

"Yes, Neji and Tenten intend to elope and I will need you present and to help sign the documents." She looked back to Neji and Tenten. "I assume you would like to keep this matter private?"

They nodded.

"Shizune, no one is to know of this until Neji and Tenten are ready to discuss the matter, understood?"

"Of course, Tsunade-sama."

"Good. I will then need you to prepare some documents stating that Neji and Tenten went on a brief three day scouting mission."

Tenten furrowed her brows. "Are we to go on a mission as well, Tsunade-sama?"

"Of sorts," started Tsunade "I would like you two to have some time alone, if I can allow it. I will provide you with one of the apartments here in the Hokage's Tower, where you can spend a few days together. You will have to stay inside, however. Would you like that?"

"It would be very generous of you, Tsunade-sama." Tenten would gladly stay inside for three days if it was three days with Neji.

Tsunade smiled at them. "Good. I have quite a bit of work to do and preparations to make. Come back this evening and I will have everything ready for you."

Neji and Tenten bowed and thanked her before leaving. Tenten shivered with excitement and anxiety.

It was going to be a long day. Luckily, Tenten had an apartment to furnish. Hopefully it would keep her distracted.

**~o0o~**

Tenten stretched before snuggling deeper into the blankets. The soft down pillows and comforters were decorated in impossibly soft sheets and Tenten relished in the sensation on her bare skin.

Sun filtered through the window and Tenten rolled over, blankets tucked up around her face, arms seeking the warmth radiating off of the body next to her.

Neji pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She nestled into the crook of his arm and pressed her ear to his chest, listening to the steady heartbeat.

Their free hands tangled together and Tenten watched their fingers mingle. The gold band he was wearing looked odd, but it filled her with joy all the same.

When he shifted his position to hover over her and kiss her deeply, Tenten knew she had made the right choice.

His kiss aroused her instantly and one moan was all he needed before he pressed himself inside of her.

They pleaded and panted between kisses, thrusted and gasped, and arched their backs as they clung to each other.

When they had finished, they dressed and enjoyed a cup of tea. Tenten watched the way their hands wrapped around the mugs, staring at the wedding bands they wore.

She watched as Neji reached out to caress her hand and wondered how closely they resembled the artwork on the Two of Cups in Tenten's tarot deck.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the long wait for an update. I've been a bit stuck with what to do but we're moving forward now! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and please drop me a review if you did! Thanks for reading!


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